The arrogance and the double count wheel

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!