Clocks, Watches/grandfather clock

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Expert: - 9/21/2010


Question
i recently purchased this grandfather clock. on the inside of the door it has a label of king arthur clock comp. from fairhope arkansas. i am attempting to see roughly how old this clock might be and i need to see what is needed to put it back together.. i am also missing a piece on the weights., on the back of the clock it has kieninger- made in germany. could you give me any information concerning this clock..thanks

Answer
Linda, the clock was manufactured by the King Arthur Clock Company in Fairhope, Alabama, not Arkansas.  George Fowler had owned Emperor Clock Company in Fairhope and sold it.  A few years later the was instrumental in starting the King Arthur Company.  I would say the clock could be dated around the mid-1980's.  I would need to know exactly what your question is about putting it back together.  Are parts out of place or missing?  Also, what part of the weight is missing.  If you want to reply to my shop email address below, we can possibly determine what parts you need.

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama

klokdok@juno.com  

(General Note:  Due to the commitment I have for answering Allexperts questions and follow-up information,
and the excessive backlog at my shop, I regret that I cannot answer other questions from
this email address in a timely manner)

Clocks, Watches

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John Newman

Expertise

As much as I would like to offer values of clocks, I am not a certified appraiser and will not venture into giving an unresearched guess. There is very little published information on what I consider to be the value of "modern production clocks". Considerations are what the clock originally sold for, the condition of the case and movement, and particularly the area in which you live, the demand and the economy. ALSO, WATCHES ARE NOT MY FIELD. However, I can advise the clock owner on proper maintenance of a clock to keep it running, small corrections and adjustments and how to move a clock without damaging it. I can also advise on obtaining parts for clocks. It helps if you can send any information on the clock movement which is usually found on the back plate of the movement. I have been a clockmaker for about 35 years and was plant engineer in the mid 90's and later operations and engineering consultant at Emperor Clock Company in Fairhope, Alabama. I now have my own clock shop.

Experience

One of my greatest accomplishments was traveling to China to assist a clock factory in building clocks to the standards which we required. With the proper specifications and quality control, some beautiful clock cases were built. The factory people from the wood carvers to the plant manager were very congenial, friendly and I left a lot of wonderful friends when I returned from my trips.

Organizations
Chamber of Commerce Small Business Committee

Publications
Horological Times, a publication of the American Watch and Clockmakers Instute. Collaberated column author, with Photos and ideas for clock movement conversion article.

Education/Credentials
Associate of Science Mechanical Engineering Technology Emperor Introductory Clock Repair (Eventually taught a portion of the class after becoming employee)

Awards and Honors
Small Business of the Quarter (Prattville, Alabama) Leadership Class of 2009 (Autauga County, Alabama)

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