The Horolovar 400 Day Clock Repair Guide specifies a 0.0023 inch thick suspension spring for the Schatz model 53 miniature 53 movement. I just repaired one that ran too slow with a 0.0023 inch spring, so I installed a 0.0024 and it keeps good time (my repair job no. 5212). The pendulum looks normal, but perhaps its weight is slightly different?
I repaired another one a couple of months ago (job 5113) that also needed a 0.0024 inch thick spring. This one was slightly different in that the spring needed to be 1/8 inch longer than usual for the pendulum locking device to work.
The most delicate part of a 400 day clock is the thin wire called the “suspension spring” that holds the pendulum and controls its rotation. On many 400 day clocks, the pendulum can be locked in place for shipping and there is a metal or plastic guard to protect the suspension spring. On earlier clocks, the pendulum needed to be removed for shipping.
Kundo 400 day clocks from the early 1950s have a sliding piece on the guard that secures the bottom of the suspension spring during shipping. The photos below show the guard locked and unlocked, and also show an incorrect guard (a later one) on a clock that needs the earlier guard with the slider.
Kundo standard 400 day clock, early 1950s.
Incorrect suspension guard
Suspension spring secured
Suspension spring free
Job 5207. Horolovar back plate no. 1375. Suspension unit 1, uses 0.0032 inch thick suspension spring.
This midget 400 day clock was made by Koma (Konrad Mauch) in Germany in the late 1950s. It is 7 1/16 inches tall (to top of finial) and 4 11/16 inches wide. The dial diameter is 2 15/16 inches (including bezel).
The pendulum on this clock turns much faster than that on many 400 day clocks – 15 beats per minute. By comparison, standard size 400 day clocks make 8 beats per minute, and the Kern miniature makes only 6 beats per minute.
Here is a movie of this clock and a Kern miniature together:
Horolovar back plate no. 1393B. Suspension unit similar to 38 but uses smaller fork. Suspension spring .0022 inch thick (measure replacement spring carefully – the first one I tried was labeled 0.0022 but made the clock run too fast and was actually 0.0023 inch thick). The movement uses a pin pallet escapement.
This Jahresuhrenfabrik (Schatz) standard 400 day clock, was made around 1949 – 50, and has no name on dial. The minute track of the dial is 3 9/16 inches in diameter. The movement is labeled Jahresuhrenfabrik, and this company was renamed Aug. Schatz and Sohne around 1950 (the Jahresuhrenfabrik name continued to be used on the back of some clocks for several years). Jahresuhrenfabrik is German for “Year Clock Company”.
Repair job 5204. Horolovar back plate no. 1278 (no date). Uses 0.004 inch thick suspension spring. Mainspring replaced. Old suspension spring retained.
This Jahresuhrenfabrik (German for “Year Clock Company”) 400 day clock has the serial number 112975 on the back plate and was made around 1912. The diameter of the dial minute track is 2.5 inches. (Earlier clocks often have a smaller dial, whereas later, 1950s clocks have a larger dial, typically with a 3 9/16 inch time track.)
There are numbers and dots on various parts that may relate to batches of movements being made. Both plates have “39″ and “4″ stamped on the inside. The minute wheel cock and minute wheel both have “39″. The barrel, cap and arbor all have “39″ on them. Wheels T2 – T5 and the hour wheel have 3 dots and a “7″ on them. Can anyone explain these markings?
This movement has an early example of a guard for the suspension spring, with a brass cover on the bottom for shipping.
Here is a movie of the clock:
Here is a slideshow of more photos (click near the bottom of the photo to start the show):
Jahresuhrenfabrik became Aug. Schatz and Sohne around 1950. Their clocks almost always have a one-piece anchor in the escapement (as opposed to the anchor with adjustable pallets used by most makers).
Repair job 5206. Horolovar back plate no. 1349. 0.004 inch thick suspension spring. Suspension unit similar to 6789A but slightly longer so that pendulum doesn’t look too high above base. I would have liked it to be longer for the pendulum to be lower, but then too much would have been protruding for the suspension guard cap to cover.
A couple brought in this clock that they received it as a wedding gift over 50 years ago. They told me that the clock was put away in its box and was forgotten until recently.
I disassembled and cleaned the movement. The only problem found was that the pendulum hook had come unscrewed.
This beautiful little clock was given to my customer’s mother in 1960, but it never worked for more than 5 minutes. It spent its life sitting idly on a shelf, and was given to my customer recently.
I disassembled the movement and cleaned it. A couple of the pivot holes were slightly too tight, and the suspension fork tines were slightly too close together. After adjusting these things, reassembly and lubrication, the clock is now running well.
This was a routine repair job, until I tested the accuracy of the clock. It ran way too fast (with the correct suspension spring, properly adjusted). I was puzzled, then had the haunch that something was wrong with the pendulum. I removed the 4 brass ball covers, and found that only 2 of them had a lead weight inside!
Why would someone remove 2 pendulum weights?
It could be that the previous repairer installed a suspension spring that was too thin. This would make the clock lose time. Then by removing the weights, the clock was made to run faster.
Two lead weights were missing from the pendulum
I replaced the missing weights, and now the clock keeps good time.
Repair job 5180. Back plate no. 1281, dated 11 52.
