Expert: John Newman - 6/28/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a friend who willed me this 7ft. White case (turned yellow with age) Grand Mother Clock? (Grand Father Clock?) it has three pendulums.   It's a Ridgeway, Western Germany Clock.  I would like to know the history, and how to care for this gift.

ANSWER: Loretta, Ridgeway was located in southern Virginia and had been a division of Pulaski Furniture Company.  They were bought out by Howard Miller in 2005.  I would say that at 7 feet tall, you would have a grandfather case.  The movement was made in Germany.  It would be a Hermle or Kieninger or possibly an Urgos.  I don't think Ridgeway used many Urgos movements.  Urgos went out of business and Hermle purchased their tooling and parts and manufactures some of the movements.  You did not give me any model numbers, but there is very little available documentation on modern production clocks.  On the pendulums, I believe you mean that the clock has three weights.  Each powers a function of the clock.  As you face the clock, the one on the left is for the strike, the center is for the time and the right one is for the chime.  As far as caring for it, when you wind it, set the time and the moon dial (if it has one), take care and don't force anything.  The clock should be serviced every 7 to 10 years.  This includes having it cleaned, inspected for broken or worn parts, repairing them if necessary, oiling and adjusting.  I hope you enjoy your inherited clock.

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama

You asked about the hours being off.  To correct, gently turn the minute hand through the quarters, allowing each to finish until the hour chime has played and the hour has struck.  Count the number of strikes.  Let's say at 8 o'clock it struck 4 times.  Carefully slip the hour hand back from the 8 to the four.  Then use the minute hand to set the time back to 8 o'clock.  You do not have to wait to chimes to play this time.  They will probably be off, but will correct themselves within 1 to 2 hours.  

John Newman
     

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Mr. Newman, I thank you for the information you  sent me,  I am so very new with the talk of clocks.....  When the friends suprised me with the arrivial of this clock,  I beleived they moved it so fast that the time and chime is not the same... It worked ok before the move accross the way in our apartment community... Now when it is 9 o'clock the clock chimes 5 times..  The mover pulled the chains before I could tell him not to.   I think that if I let the clock run all the way down and then restart it that the time and chime will be the same,,  I hope.   Do you have any ideals, other than having a repair person come in???????  THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WISDOM....

Answer
Loretta, I don't know why you didn't get my answer, but I has appeared above the follow-up question.  So I've just copied it again.  

"You asked about the hours being off.  To correct, gently turn the minute hand through the quarters, allowing each to finish until the hour chime has played and the hour has struck.  Count the number of strikes.  Let's say at 8 o'clock it struck 4 times.  Carefully slip the hour hand back from the 8 to the four.  Then use the minute hand to set the time back to 8 o'clock.  You do not have to wait to chimes to play this time.  They will probably be off, but will correct themselves within 1 to 2 hours.  

John Newman