The client of the American clock I repaired a few months ago called to say that his clock still did not strike the hours consistently and correctly. I had poo-pooed his feedback the first time (in private to my wife) saying that this client just did not understand how to adjust the clock to winter time and that therefore he must have put the hands backwards when winter time was introduced in October and now the hour hand was out of sync with the countwheel.
To prove my point I took the clock back (it was still under warranty), hung it in my workshop and noticed how it struck the hours beautifully and consistently but always one strike more than the hour. Hence, I told myself, this was a simple case of lifting the locking detent 11 times so the clock could strike the hours 11 times quickly to end up in the correct position so it would strike the next hour correctly.
I did exactly as planned, noticed that the striking was again in sync and returned the clock to the client triumphantly with a little note how to adjust the hands at the time of a summer time-winter time switch-over and vice versa. All for free, of course, under the warranty.
Was it irritation or surprise that I felt most when a week later I ran into the client who said the striking was still off. I asked whether the clock was hanging skewed on the wall for want of a better question. The client, though, suggested I had another good look at his clock. I was indeed keen to examine the clock because I began to realise that more was at work here than a client who did not know what to do when winter time came along.
So, I opened the case and took a proper look at the countwheel and noticed that the countwheel had two sets of 1 to 12 divisions rather than one! Examining both sets closely, I noticed that the second set showed the number 2 strike area slightly bent toward the number 3 area which meant that the locking detent did not fall into the number 2 hole. That resulted in five strokes at 2 o'clock! So, I bent the number 2 area straight. Now the clock strikes the hours perfectly on both sets of 1 to 12 on the count wheel.
I am hanging on to the clock a little longer in my test room just to check the correct number of hours is being struck. I do not want to hear the client tell me for the third time the clock does not strike properly! My arrogance had clearly blinded me to examine my own work a bit more closely before drawing conclusions. At least, I now am on alert when a two set countwheel lands on my work bench!
Monday, 13 December 2010
Comtoise clock - My family member
It is only when my favourite client called that I realised how closely connected we remain to what we have repaired. It feels as if all the clocks that have passed through my hands are part of my family. This client is a favourite of mine for a variety of reasons. He is erudite and speaks such beautiful English. That certainly endears him to me, or is it me to him?
His clock was the first mechanical clock I repaired for a client in my career which must create a special bond. The client proved elated with the report I produced when I brought the clock back. He showed it to his wife and friends. I know this, because I was there hanging the clock back in its case when this all happened. It made me feel particularly important when he introduced me to his friend as "my friend the professional clockmaker".
The clock in question happened to be a Comtoise. The client told me how he had purchased the clock in an antique shop in France and how the owner of the shop had told him the story of how Comtoise clocks were produced and sold by itinerant salesmen who carried a frame on their back into which several Comtoise clocks would fit. They would walk to the next village and start selling them. The pendulums would be folded on their back. Hence we still see Comtoise clocks with pendulums that fold into several pieces of about 20cm each. Once a clock would be sold, the wandering salesman would walk with the client to the nearest blacksmith to get the weights made then and there. It being impossible, of course, to take the weights for nine clocks or so along on your back.
I had never touched a Comtoise clock but had heard my co-students on the clock course at West Dean College talk with respect about these French clocks. I was amazed how different they were from the inside from the clocks I had been working on until then. I began to love the Comtoise design and its well established "tick" and loud bell. We became good friends: the clock, the client and I.
I give a 6 months guarantee on my work and it was therefore with mixed feelings that I heard my Comtoise client ring on Saturday morning clearly with pain in his voice. Would his wife have died? Not so. His clock has stopped and could I come please to have a look? The warranty period had elapsed but still it hurts your pride to have a client tell you that a clock you worked on has come to a halt. I spent the rest of the weekend thinking about the clock. What can it be that stopped it? I had thoroughly checked everything and then tested it for two weeks before handing it back?
He called me again this morning saying he noticed how the minute hand had become entangled with the calendar hand and how he had managed to disentangle them. The clock was working fine again and I did not need to come.
End good, all good. It would have been nice, though, to see the clock again.
His clock was the first mechanical clock I repaired for a client in my career which must create a special bond. The client proved elated with the report I produced when I brought the clock back. He showed it to his wife and friends. I know this, because I was there hanging the clock back in its case when this all happened. It made me feel particularly important when he introduced me to his friend as "my friend the professional clockmaker".
The clock in question happened to be a Comtoise. The client told me how he had purchased the clock in an antique shop in France and how the owner of the shop had told him the story of how Comtoise clocks were produced and sold by itinerant salesmen who carried a frame on their back into which several Comtoise clocks would fit. They would walk to the next village and start selling them. The pendulums would be folded on their back. Hence we still see Comtoise clocks with pendulums that fold into several pieces of about 20cm each. Once a clock would be sold, the wandering salesman would walk with the client to the nearest blacksmith to get the weights made then and there. It being impossible, of course, to take the weights for nine clocks or so along on your back.
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| Comtoise (or also called Morbier) clock |
I had never touched a Comtoise clock but had heard my co-students on the clock course at West Dean College talk with respect about these French clocks. I was amazed how different they were from the inside from the clocks I had been working on until then. I began to love the Comtoise design and its well established "tick" and loud bell. We became good friends: the clock, the client and I.
I give a 6 months guarantee on my work and it was therefore with mixed feelings that I heard my Comtoise client ring on Saturday morning clearly with pain in his voice. Would his wife have died? Not so. His clock has stopped and could I come please to have a look? The warranty period had elapsed but still it hurts your pride to have a client tell you that a clock you worked on has come to a halt. I spent the rest of the weekend thinking about the clock. What can it be that stopped it? I had thoroughly checked everything and then tested it for two weeks before handing it back?
He called me again this morning saying he noticed how the minute hand had become entangled with the calendar hand and how he had managed to disentangle them. The clock was working fine again and I did not need to come.
End good, all good. It would have been nice, though, to see the clock again.
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