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Daylight Saving Time in the USA officially starts Sunday March 10, 2013 at 2:00 a.m. You will need to set your clocks forward one hour. I recommend doing this before you go to bed on Saturday night (March 9th).

On the vast majority of clocks, it is okay to set the hands forward one hour. When setting the hands, you should pause at each time the clock will strike or chime. On clocks where you set the hands directly (not having a time set knob), move the minute hand (long hand), and the hour hand will automatically follow.

Hermle Clocks (such as the ones I sell at Bill’s Clockworks): You may turn the minute hand ahead one hour, pausing each quarter hour for a chiming clock or each half hour for a striking clock.

Cuckoo Clocks: Move the minute hand ahead one hour, pausing at the hour and half hour for the clock to cuckoo.

Grandfather Clocks: Move the minute hand forward one hour, pausing at each quarter hour for the clock to chime.

Chelsea Ship’s Bell Clocks: Turn the minute hand ahead pausing at the hour and half hour for the clock to strike.

Antique American wall, mantel and shelf clocks: Move the minute hand forward one hour, pausing at the hour and half hour for the clock to strike.

French Antique Clocks: Move the minute hand forward one hour, pausing at the hour and half hour for the clock to strike.

400 Day Clocks: Move the minute hand forward one hour.

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: IT IS BEST TO LEAVE THE HANDS ALONE. Consult a specialist before setting a chronometer. It is best not to set the hands, just record the chronometer’s error each day.

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Daylight Saving Time in the USA officially ends Sunday, November 4, 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 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 proper 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 Kundo miniature 400 day clock has an unusual dial – it is thin plastic with a pearlescent finish and Roman numerals. It was made in the 1950s, and has a round base with leveling discs, and a pendulum locking device.

See more photos.

Repair job 5858. Horolovar back plate similar to 1381 with the text rotated 180 degrees and no slots for a snap-in guard. I cleaned the movement, polished  the pivots and installed a new 0.024 inch suspension spring.

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I recently repaired this Schatz 1000 day clock. It is dated 10 56 (October 1956) on the rear of the movement.

This clock has its original instruction sheet, with both English and German instructions

See more photos.

Repair job 5559.

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If your clock has stopped working and you think it is “wound too tight”, DON’T TRY TO UNWIND IT! You will just break it worse.

I just received a Schatz 400 day anniversary clock that was made in April 1953. Someone pushed on the “click” (the device that clicks as you wind the mainspring). It unwound with a big bang, and damaged the barrel and broke one of the pivots (the small ends of the gear shafts. This added at least $70 to the repair bill!

In most cases, your clock did not stop because it was “wound too tight.” It stopped because it needs to be taken apart, cleaned, and other necessary repairs made.

DO NOT TRY TO UNWIND YOUR CLOCK! BEING “WOUND TOO TIGHT” IS NOT THE PROBLEM.

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Movement model number MT-13005, made in Japan. This movement has a number of buttons for setting the time and chime, below are scans of the four page instruction sheet. The movement dimensions are 4 inches by 3 7/16 inches. The instruction sheet has a date code 79.5.1 (May 1, 1979).

The back of the movement is labeled:

TOCHIGI TOKEI CO., LTD.
NO(0) JEWELS
UNADJUSTED
JAPAN

The movement has these numbers stamped in ink in the battery compartment:

13005
9031

The movement uses one D cell.

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Lately several people told me me that their 400 day anniversary clock was “wound too tight”, and that they tried to fix it by unwinding the spring! Trying to unwind the spring is DANGEROUS (unless you are experienced at clock repair and have the proper let-down key). If you try to unwind the spring, YOU MAY INJURE YOUR HAND OR FINGERS, and damage the clock as well. Don’t try it! Also, merely unwinding the spring will NOT fix the clock’s problems.

When a clock that is wound up all the way will not work, it needs to be repaired. The repair needed can range from a simple adjustment such as putting the clock in beat; up to an overhaul, in which the movement needs to be taken completely apart, cleaned, pivots polished, and any other repair work carried out. 400 day anniversary clocks seldom need to have bushings installed, but quite often, Schatz clocks from the 1950′s need a few pivots polished.

I offer repair service for Kundo and Schatz 400 day clocks and Schatz 1000 day clocks.

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I had an Ansonia iron case mantel clock for sale in my shop. It ran, but needed to be overhauled, which I planned to do when someone bought it. A man who tinkered with clocks came in and bought it it as-is, wanting to repair it himself. It was a Friday afternoon.

Monday morning he came in with the clock and said there was a problem with it. I looked at the movement and barely recognized it! All the steel parts were badly rusted. I asked him what had happened to it, and he said he dunked the movement into what he thought was an ammonia solution. As the movement entered the fluid, it started fizzing and bubbling, and he thought “Boy, this is cleaning well!” After the “cleaning” and rinsing, he realized that he had used bleach!

The movement was completely ruined (all pivots, pinions and other steel parts were badly rusted and pitted).

Note: an ammonia solution is not good to use on an assembled movement. The movement must be disassembled so that it can be properly rinsed and dried after cleaning. Also, do not use an ammonia solution to clean mainsprings

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