Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 9/22/2010

Question
QUESTION: I have a Hermle 1151-053 sk movement.  The chimes work one hour then do not work 3 hours, then work for one hour.

The movement worked fine, then when we were on vacation over a week the clock stopped. When my wife started the clock, she rotated the hands to sync the time.

Is the movement safeback and will that correct the problem, if not what do I need to do to correct the problem?

Thank you

ANSWER: not sure - but sounds like a adjustment to the chime release lever is need on the front of the movement - so unless you are going to remove the mechanism from the case yourself--call a pro.

what is a "movement safeback" pray tell?

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

QUESTION: I took the face off and exposed the movement.  The chime release lever moves up to release the on the hour, it frees the cam but the chimes do not start.  When I move the min hand clockwise, at the quarter hours sometimes the chimes work, but the hour chimes do not always chime on the hour at 12, but will chime the hour sometimes at 3, 6 or 9.  The safeback is the abiity to move the min hand counter clockwise, which can reset the hour.

ANSWER: safeback--never heard the term before--makes sense.


anyway -- see the attached photo

if you lift the arm marked "lift arm" all the way up it should unlock the two hooked levers above it and release the quarter chimes to do the next thing in the sequence and finally the 16 Westminster notes-hour strike sequence.

If you can keep tripping one sequence after the next in this way, and it plays perfectly for many hourly rotations then probably you are not getting enough lift to un-lock for the hour sequence.

if you rotate the minute hand clock wise, you will see every quarter is tripped by the lift arm being raised -- 3 positions lift it a little and one position lifts it a LOT. The extra lift is needed to trip the hour sequence only. let me know what you find happens.

BTW- what year was this movement made? date code on the back of it --either a letter or if before 1985 it will have 84 or 83 ,,etc.
ever been overhauled or repaired, because worn shaft bearings in the chime gears can give intermittent function as well as the insufficient lift of the lift arm.

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

QUESTION: I was told 'safeback' was the ability to rotate the min hand counter clockwise without damaging the movement.  It was suggested rotating the had counter clockwise would reset the movement.  

The old movement stopped working, I purchased and installed the new movement in November of 2009.

You solved the problem, it seems the lift arm does not consistently raise enough to release the the hour sequence.

Do you have suggestions on how to make the adjustment to raise the arm higher.

Thanks for your help.

Answer
does not actually reset anything - all clock mechanisms made in last 60 years (German, all) have this ability to have the minute hand moved ccw with out hurting anything.moving ccw does not trip the chimes on the quarters. All these chiming mechanisms reset on the hour - the chimes "double lock" after quarter of the hour (12 notes on Westminster) and will only unlock at one postion of the minute hand that gives the chime lever the extra high lift as previously described.

Referring to the photo I attached -- the lift arm is actually a "V" shaped one piece brass arm with the pivot pin in the base of the V on the "elbow" if you will of the arm. Spreading the top of the V apart gives more lift to the top arm. If you bend gently the RACK away from the mechanism, you can rotate it to the right and get it out of the way for the moment. Then while lifting the "lift arm" up you can expose the bottom part of the V arm, just over the top of the SNAIL. Holding the upper part with your finger, grab what you can of the lower section with mouse nosed pliers, and gently bend the thinner lower arm down a bit.

then try the action --it should only unlock for the hour chime sequence in one of the 4 minute hand quarter trip positions--too much bend and all positions will unlock---too little and you have your current condition where it does not unlock at all after the quarter of the hour sequence.