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Some Schatz London Coach 400 Day Clocks Need A 0.0024 Inch Suspension Spring

Bill — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:42:12 +0000

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.

Kundo 400 Day Clock – Locking Suspension Guard

Bill — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:34 +0000

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.

Job 5207. Horolovar back plate no. 1375. Suspension unit 1, uses 0.0032 inch thick suspension spring.

Koma Midget 400 Day Clock

Bill — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:00:35 +0000

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.

This album has more photos.

Here is a movie of this clock in operation

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.

Schatz Standard 400 Day Clock with No Name on Dial, ca. 1950

Bill — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:00:13 +0000

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”.

This album has more photos.

Repair job 5204. Horolovar back plate no. 1278 (no date). Uses 0.004 inch thick suspension spring. Mainspring replaced. Old suspension spring retained.

Jahresuhrenfabrik Disc Pendulum 400 Day Clock, ca. 1912

Bill — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:45:46 +0000

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.

Schatz Miniature 400 Day Clock, March 1956

Bill — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:00:58 +0000

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 clock is the same model as my first 400 day clock. This model is not nearly as common as the London Coach miniature 400 day.

Repair job 5199. Movement dated 3 56 (March 1956) on the back.

Schatz “London Coach” 400 Day Clock, April 1960

Bill — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:00:36 +0000

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.

The movement is dated 4 60 (April 1960).

Repair job 5194.

Schatz Standard 400 Day Clock with Missing Pendulum Weights!

Bill — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 12:00:22 +0000

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.

I replaced the missing weights, and now the clock keeps good time.

Repair job 5180. Back plate no. 1281, dated 11 52.

Schatz Standard 400 Day Clock, ca. 1950 with Badly Broken Mainspring!

Bill — Mon, 31 May 2010 12:00:01 +0000

This Schatz 400 day clock came into my shop for repair. The customer told me that it had a broken mainspring. On disassembly, I found that the mainspring was broken in more than 15 pieces! (Normally, a mainspring has just one break). See photos below:

What caused the spring to break into multiple pieces?

The clock had been cleaned without being dismantled (there was debris in the gears from incomplete cleaning). The cleaning fluid could not be rinsed out of the mainspring. The fluid attacked the steel, causing stress cracks to form, followed by breakage.

Repair job 5176. Back plate number 1278, no date. Uses 0.004 inch suspension spring. When the mainspring broke, it bent the front second wheel pivot. I inserted a new pivot, and polished several other pivots.

Schatz “London Coach” 400 day clock made in September 1955

Bill — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:00:33 +0000

This is a Schatz “London Coach” 400 day clock that was made in September 1955. These beautiful clocks were very popular in the 1950s and early 1960s, in fact my parents and grandparents each had one that my uncle sent back from Germany. Most of them (including this one) have plastic panels in the case.

This one needed a movement overhaul and new suspension spring. I also polished and lacquered the case.

Here is a slideshow of more photos:

Repair job 5113. The movement is the Schatz miniature “53″. Horolovar back plate no. 1013A. Date code 9 55. This model normally uses a 0.0023 inch thick suspension spring and suspension unit 10A. This example needed a 0.0024 inch thick spring to keep time properly, and it had to be about 1/8 inch longer than usual to make the pendulum locking device work.