This Kundo standard size 400 day clock was probably made in the 1960s. It is unusual in having a heavy, cast brass base (most 400 day clock bases are thin brass over a wood, metal or Bakelite core). The fancy dial is in the French style, with imitation enamel numerals applied to the dial). The arch (the piece with the decorative finials above the dial) is made of plastic!
Repair job 5631. Horolovar back plate no. 1407B. Suspension unit 3C, 0.0032 inch thick suspension spring.
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This beautiful wall regulator has an oak case that is 37 1/2 inches tall and 18 5/8 inches wide. The painted dial has an oak bezel, and the minute track is 11 inches diameter. The minute hand is 5 11/16 inches from center to tip.
The movement has thick brass plates and hard steel pivots. The escapement is the Graham deadbeat, there is maintaining power to keep the clock going during winding, and stopworks to limit the amount of winding. The 7 pound weight is hangs on a pulley, and there is a pulley at the top right of the case so that the weight descends at the right side of the case. There is a tie-down at the bottom to secure the pendulum while the clock is being transported.
When the clock came in for repair, one pulley was missing. There was significant wear to the pivots and pivot holes. I believe that the clock was run for years with only the top right pulley, resulting in twice the driving force applied to the movement. This could explain the wear, which seemed abnormally high.
Having the weight hang on a pulley reduces the driving force by 50%. The pendulum has a lot of overswing (supplementary arc), and would probably run on 30% less weight and still have good overswing.
Repair job 5281.
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Here is a nice example of the Schatz “London Coach” 400 day clock. This one is dated 3 56 (March 1956) on the back of the movement.
I disassembled and cleaned the movement and polished the pivots. I replaced the suspension spring with a new Horolovar 0.0024 inch thick spring (note that I used a 0.0024, not a 0.0023, as discussed in “Suspension Springs for Schatz and Kundo Miniature 400 Day Clocks”
I polished and lacquered the brass case parts except for the back panel.
Repair job 5638.
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Here’s a Hermle 400 day clock form the 1950s that I repaired recently. Hermle 400 day clocks are not very common. I get many Schatz and Kundo 400 days, but see a Hermle only every couple of years.
The dial has a 3 15/16 inch minute track, and the minute hand is 2 inches long from center to tip. The original instructions are with the clock.
The pivots were rough on this clock, and I think they left the factory this way. I polished them all.
Repair job 5589. Horolovar back plate number 1103. Suspension unit 25A, with fork raised to prevent fluttering (5.2 mm space bvetween upper block and fork). 0.0033 inch Horolovar suspension spring.
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This is a Kundo standard 400 day clock from about 1950 with wide back plate. The name “Kundo” on the dial is written in black instead of red. This may be an early version of the logo (all the ones I remember seeing before have “Kundo” in red).
Repair job 5613. Horolovar back plate 1371. Suspension unit 1. 0.0032 inch Horolovar suspension spring.
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This Seth Thomas tambour mantel clock has a heavy brass dial that is engraved and silver plated. It was made around 1910 – 1920. The hands are the modern “ST” style, with the minute hand having an “S” at the base and the hour hand having a “T”. A different style of ST hands were used back in the 1860s.
The case is 19 1/2 inches wide and 9 1/4 inches tall. The minute hand is 2 5/16 inches long. The movement is the no. 89J. It is similar to the standard no. 89, with the addition of a two-piece back plate.
I did limited repair on the movement, cleaning it, polishing a few pivots and installing 3 bushings. Three screw-in bushings had been installed in the past, these are not good to use, but some repairers use them because they could be installed without dismantling the movement. The screw-in bushings are large and ugly.
The original mansprings are the following sizes:
Time: 3/4 x 0.0165 inch
Strike: 3/4 by 0.0161 inch
The pendulum bob is gold painted lead, 1 3/4 inch diameter, weight 5.4 ounces.
Repair job 5586.
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Daylight Saving Time in the USA officially ends Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 2:00 a.m.
You will need to set your clocks back one hour. I recommend doing this before you go to bed on Saturday night (November 5).
The U.S. Department of Transportation also reminds Americans to change the batteries in their smoke detectors when they change the time on their clocks.
Some windup clocks can have the hands turned back, and some cannot. I will discuss some popular types of clocks below. For specialized types of clocks and clock systems, refer to the instructions manual, manufacturer or service center.
Hermle Clocks (such as the ones I sell at Bill’s Clockworks): You may turn the minute hand back one hour.
Cuckoo Clocks: stop the pendulum for one hour then restart it.
400 Day Clocks: you may turn the minute hand back one hour (unless it is one of the rare ones with striking).
Grandfather Clocks: Modern grandfather clocks, made in the last 30 – 40 years, may have the minute hand turned back one hour. Antique grandfather clocks – stop the pendulum for one hour then restart it. The best way to stop the pendulum is to wait until it swings to the left. As it reaches its maximum swing, gently capture it with your hands, gently move it to the center and stop it, then let go. When starting the pendulum, move it to the right and release it.
Chelsea Ship’s Bell Clocks: Turn the minute hand ahead 11 hours, pausing every hour and half hour for the clock to strike.
Antique American wall, mantel and shelf clocks: Either stop the pendulum for one hour, or turn the minute hand forward 11 hours, pausing every hour and half hour for the clock to strike (some clocks strike just the hour, in which case just pause on each hour for the clock to strike). If the clock is time only (does not have strike or chime), you may turn the minute hand back one hour.
French Antique Clocks: stop the pendulum for one hour, then restart it. DO NOT TURN BACK THE HANDS.
There are so many types of clocks that I cannot cover them all here. Many Seth Thomas mantel clocks have an instruction sheet inside the back door. Most quarter hour chime clocks have instructions, they should tell you if it safe to turn the minute hand back or not.
If you don’t know whether it is safe to turn the minute hand back, you may turn it forward 11 hours, pausing for the clock to chime or strike at the appropriate times (hour, half hour or quarter hour, whenever the clock should strike or chime). (Note: on a clock with automatic night shutoff for the chime, set it ahead 23 hours.)
Vintage Electric Alarm Clocks: unplug the clock for one hour or set the minute hand back one hour, don’t go back past the time at which the alarm is set to ring.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT FORCE THE MINUTE HAND. IF YOU FEEL AN OBSTRUCTION, STOP MOVING THE HAND.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT MOVE THE HOUR (SHORT) HAND – IT WILL MOVE BY ITSELF AS YOU MOVE THE MINUTE HAND.
DISCLAIMER: I AM PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION AS A FREE SERVICE. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY PROBLEMS CAUSED BY FOLLOWING THESE DIRECTIONS.
Marine or Ship’s Chronometer: NEVER TURN THE HANDS BACK. Consult a specialist before setting a chronometer. It is best to not set the hands, just record the chronometer’s error each day.
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This Seth Thomas Adamantine mantel clock is dated June 1918 on the bottom of the case (date code 81F, where F represents the month, and 81 are the last two digits of the year reversed). I’ve seen many examples on earlier clocks where the date code has all 4 digits of the year, but this is the first time I’ve seen just 2 digits.
This later example of the Adamantine case has a simplified design with no pillars or Lion’s heads, and the dial is painted metal. See Seth Thomas Adele Adamantine Mantel Clock for an example of the earlier case design.
Case height 10 inches, width 12.5 inches, minute hand length 2 9/32 inches. The pendulum bob is lead with a brass cover on one side, weighs 5.4 ounces and is 45 mm in diameter.
The original mainsprings have the following measurements:
Time: 3/4 inch wide by 0.0175 inch thick
Strike: 3/4 inch wide by 0.0171 inch thick.
Job 5577. I did limited repair on the movement: cleaning, polished the worst pivots, installed 8 bushings (correcting 3 that were previously installed off-center), and tightened the strike click rivet.
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