Expert: John Newman - 9/6/2010

Question
QUESTION: I just purchased a beautiful Emperor clock with a Hermle 341-020 11 cm movement.  All I know about these clocks is that I love clocks, LOL.  The time seems to be going well but it doesn't chime.  There are three nuts on the face of the clock for the key.  Do all three get turned? Can they be overwound? Is there a silent mode or anything I should look for?  The clock seems to be in excellent shape.

Thank you,

Pete

ANSWER: Hi, Pete.  The winding arbors should all be wound in a clockwise direction once a week.  The left one is for the strike, the center for the time and the right one for the chime.  They should all be wound fully until you feel them get tight.  Contrary to a lot you hear, they cannot be overwound unless you really try to force them after they have tightened.  I receive many clocks in my shop that the customers tell me that all that is wrong with them is that they are overwound.  Never had one that had that problem.  If the clock has a silence lever it would be next to the "3" on the dial.  Most of this model don't have this feature.  If you have wound all arbors and the chime doesn't work, it could be that the lubricants have become gummy and it will have to be serviced.  I recommend than a modern production clock such as you have should be serviced every 7 to 10 years.  Some models have a silencing/transporting lever which is a silver lever you can see in the back of the clock at the bottom of the movement.  Rotate it out of the way to allow the chimes to operate.  Also the strike will not function unless the chimes have worked through the hour chime.  Hope this helps.

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama




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

QUESTION: Thank you so much John.  There are two little flaps on each side of the top of the movement that will spin.  When I got the one on the left to spin all the chimes started working.  Sounded awesome!  I don't think the chime is on the same time as the clock though.  But it does look to me like it is just sticking.  How much does it cost for a servicing like that (lubrication, setting the time)

Thank you

Answer
Pete, it sounds like old gummy lubricants.  Servicing charges vary with the area in which you live.  I usually do not give estimates unless I have looked at the clock first.  There can be other problems, such as worn parts.  A consensus among the members of my Internet Clocksmiths Group is that the labor charges are about the same as those of a local car dealers shop service rate.  As far as the chime not being the same as the hour, are you referring to the strike?  If so, run the minute hand through the quarters until the hour strikes, and count the strikes.  If the hour hand is not pointing to that hour, carefully slip it to the correct hour.  Then use the minute hand to reset the time.  Let me know how it goes.

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama