Mantel mechanical clock recommendation

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Roger, thank you for your advice. I was thinking same about quality of the parts in a new clocks. Biggest problem now to find a good repair/restoration shop in my area.
Looks like we are going to make a trip.
Ed.

Do yourself a favor and take a weekend trip up to Lancaster county (beautiful almost any time, especially in spring) and go the the National Watch and Clock Museum for inspiration, and then buy a nice old clock from a reputable repair/restoration person. You can have a vastly better clock for the money buying old rather than new. Many of the movements in newer clocks are made of inferior brass that just doesn't last-- unless you go for a clockmaker like David Lindow, who is out of most people's price range. You can get old clocks from any of the Connecticut and MA clock companies of 100-150 year old vintage that are great movements that, with care, will run forever, and very often come in much nicer cases than contemporary clocks.

I do recommend going to a restorer and buying a fully reconditioned old clock. Clocks off ebay or the local antique mall are often in very bad shape, missing parts, or damaged to the point of irreparability. Periodic maintenance on an old clock should run $100-250, depending on the movement, and be done once a decade or so. You will find that many, probably most good clock repair folks will refuse to work on modern clocks due to their low quality-- too many unhappy customers from repeated failures of various components. Major restoration can easily run 2-3 times that, and repairing an ebay basket case double that again. Most good clock repair guys are backlogged 12-18 months or more, so finding a clock they've already fixed is a time saver.

Shelf clocks with chimes from the 1920s to 40's frequently need only cleaning and minor repairs to run well and are relatively inexpensive to buy.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Kev, thank you for interesting site- just spent an hour on this fascinating site.
Ed.

Check out this webpage, especially the pics & video of the Astro-Skeleton clock, most fascinating piece of machinery I've ever seen

http://www.my-time-machines.net/

(won't fit on a mantle tho)

[Alan Lightstone]

Ed, this won't fulfill your criteria (I'm 0/2 there ) but this is the clock I grew up with. When I first went to elementary school, and my teachers were trying to teach me how to read time, how what the big hand and the little hand meant, I kept telling them that my clock at home "Had no hands". I think they thought I had special "needs" at that point. Finally I brought this in for Show-and-Tell, and they were stunned.

It was one of the first digital clocks made, and my father was given one as a present from one of his hospitals. It's a Seth Thomas model 5038. I picked this one up at an auction a few months ago. My best guess is circa 1964.

Seth Thomas Clock.jpg

I'm not sure this has chimes, but this is also an interesting mantel clock. A Plato Clock. Very early digital:
plato-clocks.jpg

I'm collecting far less expensive clocks. I presently have a Nixie Tube clock, and a few flip clocks. All stuff from my distant past.

I haven't delved into large mantel clocks (my Atmos is the closest to that). SWMBO would likely kill me. Plus, no mantel here in this house (sigh...)

I'm sure you'll love what you find. Pick something special.

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

Alan,
thank you for information and photos. Even these clock not what I am looking for, it is still very interesting info and stories behind it.
And you are correct, I am looking for something special. Problem - I don't see it yet.
Ed.

Ed, this won't fulfill your criteria (I'm 0/2 there ) but this is the clock I grew up with. When I first went to elementary school, and my teachers were trying to teach me how to read time, how what the big hand and the little hand meant, I kept telling them that my clock at home "Had no hands". I think they thought I had special "needs" at that point. Finally I brought this in for Show-and-Tell, and they were stunned.

It was one of the first digital clocks made, and my father was given one as a present from one of his hospitals. It's a Seth Thomas model 5038. I picked this one up at an auction a few months ago. My best guess is circa 1964.

Seth Thomas Clock.jpg

I'm not sure this has chimes, but this is also an interesting mantel clock. A Plato Clock. Very early digital:
plato-clocks.jpg

I'm collecting far less expensive clocks. I presently have a Nixie Tube clock, and a few flip clocks. All stuff from my distant past.

I haven't delved into large mantel clocks (my Atmos is the closest to that). SWMBO would likely kill me. Plus, no mantel here in this house (sigh...)

I'm sure you'll love what you find. Pick something special.