Securing French Clock Movements in the Case

January 18, 2010 . by Bill

Many antique French clock movements are secured in the case by tension: Two screws from the back cover pull on two straps attached to the dial plate. Friction is relied upon to keep the movement secure in the case.

Sometimes the movement may rotate in the case even with the screws securely tightened. This can easily happen when winding the clock. If the movement rotates, the clock will be out of beat (not ticking evenly), and may stop or not run reliably.

One way to secure the movement is to cut 4 thin pieces of double-sided tape (such as carpet tape) and stick them to the edge of the dial pan (where the dial pan presses against the case). The movement must be taken out of the case to do this. Cut the tape to a curved, narrow shape that will not be visible when the movement is installed.

Here are two clocks I just did this to: