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Question
I have a 20 year old Emperor clock model 299M that has broken chime weight cable mechanism (the weight will not stay up; it unwinds all the way to the bottom). It failed after winding it up. I found a small "rivet" and a sliver of metal in the bottom of the case. It appears that the "catch" that holds the weight up has failed.
The clock is 20 years old and probably needs a complete service and repair. The new owners of Emperor do not repair and recondition old clocks, they only sell new movements. Do you do repairs and restorations of my model clock? If so, please provide me with removal, packing and shipping instructions for the movement. Also, and estimated cost and turnaround time for the repairs and reconditioning.
Is it reasonable that I could do the repairs myself?
Hi, Freddie. You are correct in that the catch has broken. We call it the ratchet click. It is the part that actually clicks when you wind the clock. Being 20 years old, the movement would probably not have any major wear problems and it could be serviced reasonably. The click would have to be replaced or possibly the complete cable drum assembly. It is possible for a person to do this, but the cable has to be aligned and other checks have to be made to see if the dropped weight has caused any additional damage to the movement. Also, if the clock hasn't been serviced in the last 7 to 10 years, it would be prudent to have it done while repairing the click problem. Actually, we do not do "partial" jobs on movements due to our warranty policy. The Allexperts forum is for advice and help, but not for sales, services or fees. However, if you do not have any clockmakers in your area, or any whom you don't feel confident, we will be glad to help you. If you will contact us at our shop email address below I can give you the details of restoring your movement.
John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama
klokdok@juno.com
Note: Because of the number of Allexpert questions and follow ups,
and the excessive backlog in my shop, I regret that I can only answer
the Allexperts related questions in a timely manner.
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Mr. John Newman surprised me with the promptness and clarity of his response. I had not expected a reply for 24 to 48 hours but had a reply in less than 2 hours. I was also impressed with Mr. Newman's knowledge and experience. His experience is a perfect fit to my particular problem and as a log time employee/engineer for the company that produced, maintained and sold the movement of the clock I have, he knows the product through and through. I could not be more satisfied! | ||
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Answers by Expert:
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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