Cuckoo Clock Bellows

From The American Horologist magazine, June, 1945

Cuckoo Clock Bellows

The air current from the bellows enter thru opening No.1, passing into a small air chamber, the air then emerges thru the narrow slit, No.2 and escapes in puffs between lips Nos. 3 and 4. The puffs are due to the fact that the air currents from No. 1 strikes upon a bevel lip No. 4 and breaks into a flutter, the puffing sound thus produced consists of a confused mixture of many faint sounds. The air column No. 5 of the pipe can resound only to one of these tones, the resonance of the air column, brought about in t~is way, constitutes the tone of the pipe.

The notes of a cuckoo clock are A and F just below middle C and should be sounded clearly and with considerable volume. Occasionally we find the bellows cracked, allowing air to escape. Repairs can be made by glueing on a very thin patch of kid skin or a piece of court plaster. In either case, the patch must be very pliable so as not to interfere with action of the bellows. 

Cracks in the pipe can be sealed with glueing a small patch of ordinary paper over the cracks. Sometimes the orifice becomes clogged with dust, or the edge may become rough. By inserting a very thin file or watch mainspring, the lip may be cleaned or smoothed. If the width of the orifice is enlarged, it will change the tone. The tone can also be changed by altering the position of block No.6. By decreasing the air chamber, a higher pitched note is the result, or by increasing the length of the air chamber, a lower pitched note will be had.

The lead weight, No.7, is to increase the air pressure when the bellows are released. If too much weight is used, the action of the bellows will be too fast, forcing the air out too quickly, causing a whistling sound. The bellows must be lifted to full capacity in order to get clear long notes. 

Alarm Clocks

From The American Horologist magazine, July, 1944

Alarm Clocks

The clock making industry, which has been almost entirely out of civilian production during the war period, will be represented by six men, whose appointment to the Clock Manufacturers' Industry Advisory Committee to the Office of Price Administration was announced today by the agency.

OPA said that the clock manufacturers have been doing an outstanding war production job, turning most of their facilities to making' precision instruments and other war materials for the Army and Navy. Only nonwar production was small quantities of "war" alarm clocks. 

The Oregonian Clock

The Oregonian newspaper newspaper was originally headquartered at SW Sixth and Alder, in downtown Portland, from 1892 to 1948. In the tower of the building featured a clock manufactured by The E. Howard Clock Co. of Boston, Mass. It is a Number 4 Heavy Duty Hour Striker, serial # 1629, made in 1892,

In 1948 The Oregonian moved to a brand new building and the old building was boarded up to be demolished. The clock was to be sold for scrap.

Dr. Sam Graf,, then head of the engineering department at Oregon State College (now OSU) bought the clock for $300 and had it moved to Corvallis where it was stored in a garage for many years until its donation to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) back in Portland, where the clock was displayed but not maintained.

In 1995, OMSI moved to a new building, and again the clock was left behind.

In 1996, finally, due to the efforts of local members of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, the clock was completely restored in every detail. It is now located to a balcony at OMSI, in a marine sciences section, running and striking. It's hard to get good photos of it, but it's really something to see in person.

Street Clock

We saw this interesting mechanical street clock in San Francisco. You don't see many of these around.

Wake Up The Easy Way

From The American Horologist magazine, January, 1946

Wake Up The Easy Way

The Warren Telechron Company, Ashland, Mass., is pioneering new methods of awakening by the development of clocks designed to serve as "unlarming" alarms which will wake up the sleeper quietly and politely without the wild shock of the usual alarm clock, according to Roy W. Johnson, vice president of the company.

Examples of this are Telechron's "Musalarm," "Switch-Alarm," and "lite-Call" which will be O\on the market around the first of the year.

"The Musalarm" is described as a combination clock and "clear-toned, handsome little radio." It wakens you to the pleasant strains of radio music. You set the alarm and select the station the night before and next morning the music comes On to coax you from slumber. In case one is sleeping too soundly, there is an auxiliary buzzer which goes off ten minutes later and keeps ringing until shut off. It will come in a streamlined maroon colored plastic case and is planned to retail at $19.95.

The "Switch-Alarm" is similar in use to the "Musalarm," but it is not built into a radio. You can plug your radio set into this clock and instead of the alarm going off, it will turn the radio on at a pretermined time. 'Consequently, one can awaken to music in the morning by using this in combination with the present bed-side radio. It is also a standard type of alarm clock having .an alarm signal like any other alarm.

It will not turn the radio off. However, it can also be used to turn on an electric light at any given time, though not for other household appliances. The price of the "Switch-Alarm" will be $5.95 retail.

The "Lite-Call" which comes in an ivory colored plastic case is an alarm clock of the standard type and will waken the sleeper with an audible signal. However, it has a mechanism which will make any light or bedside lamp flash intermittently if the lamp is plugged into the clock. All that has to be done is to set the time for awakening and instead of the audible alarm coming on, the light will flash quickly. If desired, the audible alarm will come on ten minutes later. Tests have proved this silent flashing alarm will awaken people as surely as an audible alarm.

It is especially desirable for those who are hard of hearing or deaf, but many others will welcome it because it does not waken the whole house. It will retail for $6.95.

Mr. Johnson also stated that the "Telalarm Jr.," announced previously, to retail at $3.95, has an unusual, new alarm device called control-a-tone which controls the volume of the signal. It can be made as soft as a whisper or regulated for any degree of volume up to full volume by the control lever on the back. 

Information Please!

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, January, 1946

WMck - Will dipping watch parts in cyanide leave any bad effects?

Answer - If the parts are guilded and left in cyanide solution too long, the solution will dissolve the gilding, leaving the plates dull and dark. When dipping watch parts in cyanide solution, the parts should first be cleaned in naphtha, the naphtha washed off in soapy water and then rinsed in clear water. Give a quick dip in cyanide. You must bear in mind that cyanide only removes tarnish and if the tarnished surfaces are not perfectly clean, void of oil Or grease, the cyanide will not attack the tarnish. After the cyanide dip, parts should once more be thoroly rinsed in warm soapy water or warm water to remove the cyanide. Cyanide solution itself is slimy and cold water will not give a thoro rinse. After the parts are thoroly rinsed, they may then be dipped in alcohol and dried in warm sawdust. This may sound like a long procedure, however. to get good results, the above care should be taken when using cyanide. Cyanide is poisonous and the user should be cautious not to allow cyanide to come in contact with any cuts or sores. He should also be cautious not to inhale cyanide fumes.

AEW: When was the minute and second hand first used?

Answer: The minute hand (concentric with the hour hand (was first applied by Knibb and Quare and other English clock makers about 1670. No definite information is at hand when the first second hand was applied, however a clock built by Tompion of England employed a second hand constructed by him in 1676 A.D.

BW: How do you test a watch for isochronism?

Answer: The isochronal test for the watch is made by winding a watch fully, setting it on the second and then checking the time each hour throughout the 24 hours. This will show how the rate varies as the watch runs down. If the watch shows a constant gain or loss, each hour throughout the 24 hours, we can then say that the watch is adjusted for isochronism. Checking the watch or making alterations to cause isochronal rates can some times be accomplished through the regulator pins, by opening or closing, then again by reforming the overcoil, changing the elasticity at the bends of the overcoil. It may be necessary to fit a new hairspring. which may be a trifle longer or shorter. The object is to create the resistance of the hairspring to equal the force of the balance, so the balance will be returned to the zero point the same duration of time whether the arc be short or long.

MElNc'D: How can I improve the tone or sound of the gong in a mantle clock? When the clock was new it had a clear tone, but now the tone is very dull.

Answer: May I suggest you examine the leather buttons in the hammer. The leather ages with time, sometimes becoming quite hard and occasionally seem to deteriorate, becoming soft and falling apart. When the leather hardens, you will have a harsh tone or metallic sound. If the leather has softened or becomes spongy, you are likely to have a very soft tone. If the leather lining in the hammers are all right check the support that holds the gong. See that the gong is well secured to the support and that the support is rigidly secured to the base board. See that the base board is held firmly. Sometimes the base boards dry out so they become loose or possibly the base board or soundingboard may be cracked.

ABP: I am about to purchase a watchmakers lathe, motor and staking tool. Will you kindly advise which is the best lathe. 

Answer: The writer is not in a position to mention makers names or comment on their quality. I would advise you to rely on the judgment of an experienced watchmaker who might accompany you on your shopping tour and from his experience of handling tools will recommend what is best to purchase.

TNB: I am thinking seriously of going to school to learn the art of watch repairing. When my course is completed, does the watchmaker have to supply his own tools and material, or does the employer supply them.

Answer: A journeyman watchmaker is expected to have his own kit of tools such as small hand tools, a well equipped lathe with an electric motor, staking tool, etc. However, he is not expected to supply repair parts or any materials necessary to carryon the work. The employer usually is equipped with a cleaning machine, and furnishes the cleaning fluids. He also has a demagnetizer, friction jeweling outfit and crystal grinding machine. A machine for fitting non-breakable crystals, a timing machine and a buffing machine should be supplied by the employer. This applies where a watchmaker is working on a straight salary or commission.

RGO: I have a mantle clock whose case is made of cast iron and finished black. What can I do to restore the black polish that has become dull from years of handling?

Answer: If you have one of the early American made clocks, these cases were usually coated with aspheltum varnish and baked at about 300 degrees F. A very satisfactory job can be had by rubbing the surface with rotton stone and olive oil, using a felt pad, when all scratches have been removed a lusterous polish can be had by vigorous rubbing using a flannel cloth.

JFH: I have noticed, after fitting a balance staff that a watch takes on a new rate, either fast or slow. I am very careful about trueing the balance and also for poise.

Answer: Replacing a balance staff is a major repair that has to do with the heart of the watch. Even when you say the balance is in good poise and true, other conditions may not be the same as before the staff was fitted. For instance, the balance may be a trifle larger or smaller, the larger pivot would show a fast rate, the smaller pivot slow rates. The pivot ends may be of a different shape than the original staff. Flat end pivots will cause fast rates, round end pivots will cause slow rates. When replacing the hairspring, it may take on a slightly different position such as the reg sweep in the regulator pins. Your hairspring may not be perfectly centered nor develop properly. This all has to do with timekeeping. Your tweezers or screwdrivers may be more or less magnetized. transferring the magnetism to the hairspring or balance. The end shake of the balance pivots might be more or less than the original. There are many reasons why the new balance staff you are placing in the watch may not perform exactly as the one removed. However, the change in rates will not be so great but what slight regulation will bring the watch to time.

AFH: I have trouble with the gummed paper clock dials holding fast. They seem to hold for a few days but peel off. What can I do?

Answer: The ready made gummed clock dials have been prepared with a special glue and will hold if proper precautions are made. This may be done by scrubbing the surface of the dial plate with emery or sand paper until the surface' is bright and clean. Moisten the gummed dial, place it in position and place the dial under pressure with some convenient weight for a period of 15 or 20 minutes until the gum is set. This will prevent the dial from warping away from the metal.

AFH: I have noticed that paper clock dials I get from jobbers seem to have a soft surface and are subject to finger prints and dirt. It there any thing I can do to them to aid keeping them clean and washable.

Answer: Make a thin solution of grain alcohol and white shellac, apply two or three coats until the paper surface is glossy. Allow each shellac coating to thoroughly dry before applying the next coat.

HFG: Can I reform a flat hairspring to an overcoil pattern and will it keep the same time as when it was flat?

Answer: To over coil a flat hairspring is permissible if space permits. To do a good job, the hairspring stud should be moved towards the center as well as regulator pins. The radius for stud and reg pin should be 2/3rds radius of hairspring from center. Then you can shape the flat spring to conform to the position of reg pins and stud. Usually, a flat hairspring that has been reformed will show a gaining rate but not so much but what it can easily be taken care of by the addition of a very light timing washer or by moving the regulator. 


Front and back views of unusual and fine repeater watch owned by Ira Leonard of California. Photos by J. E. Coleman, Nashville, Tennessee. 

Barber and Clocks

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, January, 1946

Barber and Clocks

Andy Levandusky, North Chicago barber, has 54 CLOCKS on the walls of his barber shop. Collecting old CLOCKS is his hobby. At one TIME his collection numbered 119, but at present because of recent wartime sales, it totals only 80. 

It all began when Levandusky traded his shop-CLOCK to a peddler for what appeared to be a worthless old-fashioned CLOCK. However, when several layers of paint were removed, Levandusky found himself the owner of a beautiful antique mahogany TIME piece.

The older CLOCKS are operated by weights. The use of springs did not begin until after the turn of the 18th century, he said. The oldest CLOCK in his collection is a W a terbury shelf CLOCK, made in 1818.

He also has a calendar CLOCK. Manufactured in 1865, this CLOCK tells not only the HOUR of the DAY, but the DAY of the MONTH, and the MONTH of the YEAR. It is weight driven and must be wound every eight DAYS. Its pendulum is a magnifying glass.

The collection prize is a musical CLOCK of a steeple design, about nine inches. in height, which was made in Germany. Another CLOCK he bought from a Louisville, Kentucky blacksmith who said it had been left with him by Jesse James, the famous outlaw. Officers at the nearby Great Lakes naval training station, Levandusky said, have been heavy purchasers of his CLOCKS during the last two years. 

Jacob Bachtold - Grand Central Terminal Clockmaster

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, January, 1946

Jacob Bachtold - Grand Central Terminal Clockmaster

The real works behind the 1,000 clocks at Grand Central Terminal, where time is an immutable law dispatching trains on the precise second and shutting gates in the path of sprinting commuters, is Jake - Jacob Bachtold-Clockmaster of the Terminal for the past 42 years.

As the minion of the law of time, Jake makes a daily tour of inspection, Mondays through Saturdays, to all the principal seventy-five clocks of the Terminal which lay down the law to would-be train-catchers. The tour also takes him behind the scenes into the offices of the railroad operating departments where clocks govern the dispatching of trains and crews. Jake makes this tour with his own prized pocket watch in hand, covering the almost three miles in an hour, including short stops for minor adjustments to erring timepieces.

Jake is a mild-mannered man with a shaggy mane of sparse white hair and blue eyes peering through thick lensed glasses, a casualty of his profession. At 68, his right hand shakes just a slight bit now and is the reason that he has given up repairing watches at home in spare hours.

He has approximately 1,000 clocks under his care located in the Terminal and its office building and in stations and signal stations and offices as far as the limits of the New York Central's Electric Division - at Harmon on the Main Line and at White Plains on the Harlem Division. He often catches a train out to these points to fix important clocks that cannot be removed for any length of time; but others are sent into his workshop in the Terminal with a simple note: "Jake, this darn thing keeps losing a minute a day." The most important clocks under Jake's care are the Chief Dispatcher's Master Clock, the great clock over Park Avenue on the facade of the Terminal and, the golden four-faced clock atop the Information Booth on the Upper Level of the Terminal.

Jake checks the Master Clock several times a day, for this clock above all others must be always on the second. Once an hour it automatically sets every other electric clock in the Terminal and is set itself by a wire from Western Union twice a day. It is this clock which all train schedules must obey.
The Park Avenue clock gets Jake's careful attention twice a week. He reaches this clock by climbing several ladders to a platform where he keeps tools and oil for this special job. which consists in cleaning and oiling the great mechanism and leaning out windows in the clock to tighten screws and clean the stained glass face.

The golden four-faced clock Jake keeps especially accurate because it is the arbiter of many a possible argument between a late commuter and a gateman who has just slammed shut a train gate. When a frustrated commuter begins to wind up about shutting the gate early, the gateman merely has to point to the golden clock. Its graceful form framed in highly-polished brass, this famous clock carries a prestige and authority which is never questioned.

Jake was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, and got his first job as a helper in a local watchmaker's shop at the age of 12. When he was 16 he became an apprentice and at the age of 23 he left Switzerland for the land of opportunity. Within a day on landing at New York City he had a job with the Wittnauer Watch Company on Maiden Lane. Three years later he entered the service of the New York Central at Grand Central Terminal, where he has been ever since, seeing the number of clocks under his care grow in number from 200 to 1,000. They take up his full time now, but in the early days he worked during spare time installing electric wiring in the Terminal, which was then under construction. 

Jake is married and lives in Brooklyn. He arrives at work sharp at 8:15 a. m. and begins his day immediately he steps from the subway by glancing critically at the clock above the stairs from the East Side IRT. 

$50,000 Worth of Time Clocks

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, January, 1946

$50,000 Worth of Time Clocks

During the war, the New York Port of Embarkation was a vital cog in our military machine. From this base, thousands of soldiers and many tons of vital supplies were shipped to the fighting fronts of the world.

There were, and still are, hundreds of civilians employed at this port. And it takes $50,000 worth of time clocks to figure out whether the people at the port come to work on time. The clocks - 160 of them - are kept running by Robert J. Smith, payroll supervisor of the Harbor Boat Branch, who spends nights and Sunday~ and any other spare time he has taking care of these eight-score clocks.

Three types of clocks are used at the port - Simplex, International and Cincinnati. The most expensive one is the International which costs $375 and not only keeps time and punches time cards but rings bells and blows whistles. One of these clocks is used on the third floor of the Kenyon building to ring a bell at the beginning and end of lunch and rest periods.

Smith estimates that more than 12 million time punches a year are recorded at the New York Port of Embarkation. That's enough to wear out four clock ribbons, (something like typewriter ribbons) a year on each time clock. Approximately 300 people punch in and out daily on each clock.

Timekeepers are time clock detectives, says Smith, and they can tell from the time cards whether any one has tampered with the cards. He won't give away the trade secret, but he warns that manipulating time clocks won't give anyone extra pay. Banging, kicking or punching the machine will not make the time pass any faster, either. 

The ending of Eastern War Time gave Smith an extra job. He came to work the Sunday the time changed and spent eight hours turning every clock at Bush Terminal, Staten Island Terminal and the Base, ahead 11 hours. The clocks could not be turned back. Smith also has an extra day's work at the end of every 30-day month, for the clocks are set to operate on a 31-day basis.

The main reason why clocks break down, declares Smith, is not mechanical but human. Save for the accumulation of dirt which clogs them all up, the clocks would run smoothly if all the users used them properly. Instead people jam their cards into the clocks, throw such things as buttons, gum wrappers, and scrap paper into them and push them to make them go faster.

Winter provides a big problem for Smith, since time clocks in cold places like piers often freeze and refuse to function. Rheostats, small heating devices, must be installed to keep them warm.

Smith first became interested in clocks when he noticed an outside repairman came in most of the time for minor adjustments. He watched the man repair the clocks, then learned how to do it himself. 

Electric Clock-Motors - Caution

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, January, 1946

 Electric Clock-Motors - Caution

An article in your October issue has just come to our attention and in order to correct any false impressions which might be left with dealers and repair men we thought it well to give you our version on the subject in question. The particular item we have reference to is Contest Article No. 92, Page 39 and 40 which has reference to motor noises. The article states "Maybe some have had trouble with noises in Telechron or other sealed motors. One remedy is to drill a small hole in the motor, so it will be on top when the motor is in use. Then clean out, partly fill with a light oil; then seal the hole. This will· even help some motors that are frozen."

We do not recommend such a practice and have done everything possible to discourage it for a number of reasons. If a motor becomes noisy it is either due to the fact that the unit has lost its oil or that some parts have become worn in such a way as to cause noise. In either event we would replace such a unit here at the factory with a completely new one since we know from long experience that it is not practical to attempt to repair units which have failed for any reason. New oil will not correct mechanical difficulties caused by worn parts. Also when drilling a hole into the case shell it is entirely possible that some particles of the copper from the case will fall into the gear train and later become jammed between the small teeth of the gears and cause the unit to stop. It is true that units can be made to run for a little while by such treatment but the unit will stop due to the same reasons that it failed in the first place. The exchange price of a sealed rotor unit to a dealer or repair man would be 86 cents which includes the salvage allowance on the old unit, and it would certainly not be profitable to attempt to repair old units for this amount. Replacement units may be secured from any of our authorized service stations or from our factory.

Our rotor units are oiled during the process of manufacture with a definite quantity of oil sufficient to lubricate the gear train by capillary action. The units are afterwards sealed for life and no further oiling is necessary. 

Chimes

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, February, 1942

Westminster Chimes, Canterbury Chimes, Whittington Chimes and St. Michaels Chimes

Single Pin Escapement

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, February, 1942

Single Pin Escapement
W. H. SAMELIUS

Ever since the pioneer days of c1ockmaking, when Henry DeVick, in 1365, designed and constructed a Tower Clock for King Charles V of France, scientists, horologists and mathematicians have carried on an endless search for the perfect escapement and since that time, hundreds of escapements have been invented and tested, only to be abandoned and very few survived.

The most common pendulum escapement used today was invented by Dr. Hooke. of England, 1675; it was known as the anchor recoil. We find this style of escapement in most of our mantle and kitchen clocks especially where a short pendulum is employed. It has proven to be practical, easy to adjust and lends itself to production in large quantities.

Another escapement that has stood the test of time and accepted, is the deadbeat escapement, invented by George Graham of England during the early part of the 18th century. The deadbeat escapement is employed for long pendulums, such as second's beat regulators, in fact, many of our most accurate timepieces today are equipped with a Graham Dead-Beat.

Another escapement that has been universally used, was invented by J. A. LaPaute, a French clockmaker, known as the pin wheel escapement. It was a deadbeat and has been favored since 1750. Of later years, it has been discontinued, but many specimens of this escapement are still to be found in jewelry store regulators. The heavy grid-iron pendulum is generally associated with LaPaute's escapement.

Another escapement that has proven it's practicability, especially for tower clocks, is the gravity escapement, invented by Dennison of England, 1854. He designed and caused to be constructed, the Tower Clock in Westminster Tower, London, called "Big Ben." For this achievement, Dennison was awarded a Lordship (Lord Grimthrope).

There is still one more· escapement that is to be found in Observatory clocks. Namely, the "Rieffler Clock and Rieffler Escapement." Generally speaking, most all observatories throughout the world use the deadbeat escapement or the Rieffler escapement.

Among the discontinued escapements we find a very simple one, perhaps the simplest of all, known as the Single Pin, invented by Charles McDowell of Wakefield, England, He was a clever horologist making many outstanding masterpieces, many refinements and modifications in clock constructions, also inventing the single pin escapement. He died in 1872 at the age of 82. The accompanying illustration shows his method of maintaining a pendulum in motion.

The escapement consisted of a roller attached to the projecting pivot or the escape wheel pinion, an impulse pin being fastened into the roller. The impulse pin and roller rotated anti-clockwise. Impulse was imparted to the vertical section of the upper pallet, the pin would then drop off to the horizontal section of the lower pallet. On return of the pendulum, the pin would slide through the space between the two pallets, returning, giving impulse to the vertical face of the lower pallet, the pendulum being pivoted. The weight of pendulum bob would naturally cause considerable wear and friction on the upper support, detrimental to the life of the clock and another objection was the escape pinion would make one complete revolution for each two impulses, necessitating a greater number of wheels and pinions in the train, this also was objectionable and did not prove practical for production and was finally abandoned. 

Elgin Grade 471, An 8-Day Clock

This is Elgin's grade 471. It is a 37 size movement (yes, 37!) with 7 jewels, made about 1923. It was used in 8-day clocks.

This movement is about 2 inches across. It's almost too big for me to work with, given the tools I have. The train though, is a variation of their 16 size movements, and a few of the parts are in common. This one needed a balance staff for example, and it takes factory part number 861, "new style", which is a staff used is many later 16 size grades.

These movements were used in car clocks and in military applications.

The design includes a creative and unique feature; it has two mainsprings. It will even run if one spring breaks.

For years I have been telling people that Elgin never made clocks as such.  They made instruments for military applications, and car clocks, where were really normal 16 size pocketwatch movements with crude finishes. Late in the history of the company, they sold some travel alarm clocks and other items using imported movements, not made in the American factory.

And along comes this obviously rare example, made about 1923...

As we can see, it's clearly an early clock, probably for the bedside. The stem is at the bottom as it would be on a car clock of that time. The large square dial with luminous hands and markers, marked Elgin, and rather nice nickle plated case indicate that this was indeed made and sold as a clock. It's not something done by a dealer or jeweler. Did Elgin actually make this case at the Elgin Illinois factory? It would certainly seem s

Second Century of Service

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, February, 1942

Second Century of Service
By ALBERT C. SMITH

With abundant confidence in the future of democracy and with the security growing out of one hundred years of honorable service in the past. Bigelow Kennard Company, one of Boston's oldest jewelry firms, has proudly opened a sparkling new building in Back Bay Boston.

The unique Waltham Watch Company time ball clock, which for so II)any years has been a mark of distinction at this firm' s West Street store, now extends its friendly greeting from a majestic perch in front of the new quarters. This lone reminder is a fitting dedication to the past. Everything else at the Boylston Street establishment is the very last thing in modernity.

Designed and completed under the guiding hand of Alvin W. Krone of the Bigelow Kennard Company, this new structure offers a variety of features that make for comfort, effective display and beauty. Air-conditioning is a particular advantage appreciated by both patron and clerk. Overhead lighting is achieved without glare or discomfort by use of a series of recessed panels aligned in squares and utilizing a combination of incandescent and fluorescent intensities to secure a soft illumination which harmonizes with the light gray and dusty pink color scheme of the store interior.

Huge, bulky show cases are omitted in the floor arrangement. In neat, g lass covered tables conveniently spaced along the center of the floor, watches, rings and novelty pieces bask in a brilliant setting of hidden light. Along the side walls of the store, Bigelow Kennard has inaugurated a novel idea in displays. Open alcoves invite a casual inspection of the precious burden of solid silver, plate and leather goods which linger upon the shelves.

Watches and watch repair have always been an important part of Bigelow Kennard's program of service to the public. During all of their years in business, they have been famous both for the wide line of excellent domestic watches on hand at all times and their exceptional collection of imported time pieces, also. Even Kit Carson, famous old Indian persuader, appreciated the opportunity to deal with a reliable firm. A collection of old letters reveals that Carson not only ordered numerous heavy watches from this company (which then went under the name of Bigelow Brothers and Kennard) but also entrusted them with supplying an extensive list of items ranging from a beaver hat to newspapers and a heavy silver flask made with "a plenty of silver to resist dents." 

The old branch on West Street will continue to function as usual to cater to the needs of downtown Bostonians.

Perhaps the healthiest sign in this whole venture, and certainly one of the finest tributes to the managerial policies of Bigelow Kennard is the length of service accumulated by its personnel. The new store will be in charge of men who have been with the company for periods ranging from 15 to 55 years. 

Vintage Wall Clock Quartz Conversion

OK, first off I want to be real clear about one thing: I know pretty much nothing about clocks. I fix watches. Watches and clocks are not the same. To fix a clock, you need a clockmaker.

That said... Someone asked me to put a quartz movement in this clock. It didn't seem like it would be hard. The sizes are pretty standardized, and this over-size dial would cover up any gaps. I should be able to use the same hands too. Just drop in a round quartz movement and put the front back in place. How hard could it be?

Pretty hard turns out...

It seems that this thing was not indented to be disassembled. Not one, but both hands were riveted on. No friction fit, no pin, no nut, but hard attached. I got them off OK though, but it took awhile. Next the paper dial is riveted to a thin piece of sheet metal attached with tabs to the front of the movement. That was fun to get off without tearing the paper.

Oh, and I'm skipping showing getting the glass off, that was not intended to be removed either. [insert long sob story here]. Nothing broken...

So here we are, I've come this far. And now I find that the movement is not a separate removable unit. It is built right into the brass casing with the large oval front. I have to disassemble the movement itself to make room for a new movement. The thing is built like a dollar watch. This is nothing like what I expected. Once I get the guts out, how will I make the battery changeable? I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I did mention I don't know anything about clocks, right?


I would have expected the winder to be left-hand threaded so you could take it out of the way and lift off the back plate. It just wouldn't go so I gave up and cut off the handle. The back then lifted and the movement came right out as a unit after all. Success!

Now I have the brass cup that forms all of the oval front frame and the back as one piece, plus a back cover. It should be no trouble to put a quartz movement in there. I'll cut the back off completely so the battery can be accessed, and re-use the back cover, held on with some little nuts or something.

I ordered up the movement, so got set aside until it came.

When the movement arrived, the first thing I did was to cut off the back of the housing of the movement in order to make the battery and setting wheel accessible. The housing on this is all one piece that includes to frame around the front.

The round movement I found was just a little smaller than the hole, so I put a little cardboard in there to keep in from moving. The rest of the assembly was pretty easy, other than the fact that the hands were harder to get on than they should be. I really do not have the tools for this... But it worked in the end.

Here is the clock all ready to go, with a new, easy to use quartz movement. The old mechanical movement was really nothing special, and didn't work. The clock itself though is a unique and interesting one. The material is a composite of wood dust and resin that was, briefly, used on items like this prior to the arrival of early plastics. I have an antique tabletop radio made of this wood-like material. Perhaps the subject of another post in the future...

Unusual Clock

From The American Horologist magazine, February, 1946

Unusual Clock
By W. H. Samelius

This clock is built in the form of a light house, the tower has a lamp with a light that flashes. It has nine dials showing correct time ,for the principal cities around the world. The center dial showing local time. A synchronous motor located in the house drives the spider holding the dials, making one revolution per hour. From each end of the arbor of the spider is a small projecting stud. On this stud the dials revolve, the dials being weighted so that figure 12 will always remain on top. A frame to which the dials are attached is recessed to receive the cannon pinion, minute wheel and hour wheel. Figure No.1. The cannon pinion being friction tight to the stud will then hold the minute hand in any fixed position or time it may be set. Instead of the minute hand revolving, the dial revolves about it's center as the spider revolves, thus showing the time to the minute and hour. The complete clock stands 16 inches high, the spider is ten inches in diameter and each of the small dials are 2 1/2 inches in diameter. The dials are engraved showing the cities of Bombay, London, Hawaii, San Francisco, Yokohoma, Shanghai, New York and Moscow. This clock was constructed by Mr. William Geoghagen, student at Elgin Watchmakers College. He is to be complimented for his skill and careful workmanship. 

A Tickless Clock

From The American Horologist magazine, February, 1946

A Tickless Clock
By W. H. Samelius

Many attempts have been made to create a tickless clock or silent escapement. Illustration of such a clock is one of the attempts that can easily be made by a workman who is equipped with a wheel cutting attachment for the lathe.

The figures for number of teeth and pinion leaves are shown in the illustration and it is up to the workman to decide the size of clock he may choose to construct.

Instead of the regular escape wheel and pallet, a small crank is attached to the last pinion, or driver. A horse shoe spring is connected between the crank and pendulum rod, the loop end of the horse shoe spring must fit freely over the studs that do the driving and some experimenting may be necessary to create a spring that will not allow the drive pinion to run wild, but a spring with tension enough to hold the drive pinion in check while the pendulum is making' it's excursion. The train is designed for seconds beat pendulum 39.14 inches long, measured from point of suspension to the center of the bob.

The drum is to be made large enough to take 16 coils of cable when the timepiece will run for 8 days. If carefully constructed, this clock will give satisfactory results and be perfectly silent when in motion.

Roth Brothers

Can anyone identify who made this movement for a Roth Brothers nautical clock? Someone sent me these photos asking about the movement. Roth Brothers used movements from many sources, and even purchased chronometers from the general public to re-purpose into clocks during wartime.

A New Field of Clock Repairing

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, October, 1938

A New Field of Clock Repairing
By JOHN T. LYNCH

A brand new field of clock repairing is opening with the increasing use of the "automatic stool pigeon" by truck owners and industries whose business makes it necessary to operate large fleets of trucks.

This invention is a clock, faced with sensitized paper on which a needle marks a straight, steady line when the vehicle is standing still, and makes a shaky graph line while the truck, or automobile, is in motion.

The clock is synchronized with the time of the dash-board clock. Hidden in the body of the car, unknown to the driver, it is installed in the morning and removed at night, after the day's hauls are over. In this manner the whole story of the truck's movement is visible on the removable face. If the line is steady and straight for any unseemly length of time, the driver has a lot of explaining to do. It is also possible to tell to the minute how long it took a driver to make any certain stop.

One Los Angeles company has saved a great deal of expense in its trucking department. It seems that the clocks, when first installed, showed that from about three to five, every afternoon, not a truck moved. The boys would drive to some nice, shady spot and kill two hours before coming in for the night. The result was the elimination of two trucks-and much better service from those kept on duty. The drivers do not yet know that they were betrayed by mechanics. They just think that the truck boss suddenly became psychic.

The needle operates on the sensitized paper much as does a seismograph needle for recording earth movements. It is the vibration of the moving vehicle that makes the needle jump, or zig-zag. Because of this constant vibration the inside works become loose and the clocks need frequent servicing by an efficient clock repair man.

At least two Los Angeles repair shops have found their services so much in demand by truck companies that they are making a specialty of it.

Time Down in Rhode Island

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, October, 1938

Time Down in Rhode Island

This picture shows the steeple and heavy clock which adorned the Congregational Church in Pawtucket, R. 1., which fell during the storm that swept over New England recently.