Follow-Ups to Answer from Expert John Newman

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Frank Kerscene wrote at 2007-09-13 02:12:56
Emperor originally offered their clock kits to the common retired handyman at an affordable price. Kits with exotic and expensive woods today would be too expensive for the average person and they would not sell very many. Also like everyone else Emperor has been forced to use Chinese suppliers. As far as the movements go, you should not repair these. They can be replaced at a much cheaper price. Fixing mass produced German movements does not increase the value of the clock. Emperor offers Hermle and Urgos movements and movement kits for extinct movements.

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klokdok wrote at 2008-01-16 22:33:50
Frank, you added to one of my answers and I would like to clear a couple of statements you made.  Your statement could have been taken to mean that the movements Emperor used and uses were made in a country other than Germany.  Of the mechanical movements used in their clocks, Hermle, Kieninger and Urgos were German.  I would not make a general statement as to not repairing the quality German movements.  Each should be evaluated for the age, amount of wear and the record of maintenance.  I repair these every day at a price cheaper than a replacement, and when the cost of labor reaches the replacement cost of a new movement, I let the customer make the decision.  I do sometimes replace them with exact replacements and conversion kits when necessary.  You said that "Fixing mass produced clocks does not increase the value of the clock".  That's true, but restoring one can cost much less than replacing, which leaves money in the customer's pocket.  Klokdok

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Egon wrote at 2010-02-02 01:02:38
Just an aside. Emperor also offered furniture kits back in the day. I built a Butler's tray table of solid cherry and a Bachelor Chest of solid black walnut. Both were offered at a price appreciably lower than Bartley's and with no compromises in quality. I wassad to see them go!

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Richard_Iowa wrote at 2010-05-10 19:09:45
I too had purchased a number of furniture kits from Emperor.  The solid cherry Butlers tray table, oak reproduction ice box, and mahogany end table come to mind.  I was shocked when the new owner immediately ceased selling the furniture kits as I had quite a few kits in mind for future projects.  Seems like the person, from New York if memory serves, who purchased the company pretty much ran it in the ground.  Too bad in my opinion.  

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klokdok wrote at 2010-05-19 01:31:35
This is in regard to Richard_Iowa on 2-2-2010.  Richard, Emperor was not bought by "a person in New York that ran it into the ground."  Hermle Black Forest Clocks bought Emperor in the mid-1990's.  The clock kit business was dwindling because of outside influences, such as the lack of kit builders and the rising expenses of materials and movements.  In June 2005 Hermle closed the Emperor doors in Fairhope, Alabama, but has continued doing a limited clock business based on what the market will bear.  There has been a turn around in many industries, including the clock business because of the ecomomy and products Imported from foreign countries.  

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