Most 400 day clocks have a round brass base that is polished and lacquered.

Some nickel-plated 400 day clocks were made. These are uncommon, and I see only 1 or 2 of these per year in my repair shop.

I recently repaired a copper plated Schatz 400 day clock! It is the only one I have ever seen.

The photos above show 3 examples for comparison: a Kundo standard with nickel finish (uncommon), a Schatz standard with copper plated finish (rare), and a Kundo standard with brass base (the most common 400 day clock)

Related posts:

1. Kundo Nickel Plated 400 Day Clock Made about 1950
2. Schatz Copper Plated 400 Day Clock
3. Kundo Nickel Plated 400 Day Clock, 1950s
4. Kern Miniature 400 Day Clock, Nickel Plated
5. Schatz Standard 400 Day Clock with “Holey” Dome

This Kundo standard-sized 400 day clock has a nickel plated finish instead of the common plain brass. It has a wide-plate movement so I believe it was made on the early 1950s. The back plate has no name, just the Kundo logo in a circle. It uses a 0.0032 inch thick suspension spring. I didn’t do a full repair on this clock – just replaced the suspension spring. The gears are not nickel plated.

See more photos.

Repair job 5540.

Related posts:

1. Kundo Nickel Plated 400 Day Clock, ca. 1950
2. Kundo Nickel Plated 400 Day Clock, 1950s
3. Kern Miniature 400 Day Clock, Nickel Plated
4. DeBruce 400 Day Clock by Kundo, 1950s
5. Kundo Standard 400 Day Clock

This is the most unusal Schatz 400 day clock I’ve seen – it has a copper plated finish. It is the only one I’ve see in all my years of collecting and repairing clocks. When the clock came in for repair, the finish on the base had been damaged by attempted polishing. The movement and bezel still looked good!

I sent the following parts to Ken’s Clock Clinic for replating:

• Pendulum parts: hook, 8 half-ball covers, 4 arms, regulator assembly, decorative washer and center assembly;
• Case parts: 2 pillars, 4 pillar ends, platform, base cup, base cup screw, base, 3 finials.

The movement plates, suspension guard, guard washers, ratchet, ratchet cock, ratchet cock washer, bezel, saddle, saddle washer, saddle bridge, plate washers are copper plated. The hand nut, gear train and motion work are not copper plated.

This clock was made around 1940 or 1950. The dial has no maker’s name, and the pack plate says Jahresuhrenfabrik 49 Germany in a circle.

I didn’t clean the movment plates in cleaning fluid for fear of damaging the lacquer or the copper plating. I pegged and smooth broached the pivot holes to clean them. The movment is identified in the Horolovar 400 day clock book as plate no. 1278.

See more pictures.

I thank Ken of Ken’s Clock Clinic for taking on this plating project. The base was especially challenging to do.

Repair job 5073.

Related posts:

1. Schatz Standard 400 Day Clock with “Holey” Dome
2. Kundo Nickel Plated 400 Day Clock, 1950s
3. Kern Miniature 400 Day Clock, Nickel Plated
4. Schatz 1952 400 Day Clock – Unusual Styling Features
5. Schatz Diamond Dial 400 Day Clock, 1953

This is one of the most often seen 400 day clocks: the Kundo standard with brass base, glass dome (5 1/2 by 11 inches) and enamel dial. The Kundo is a well-made clock and will last for many years. This one is about 56 years old and still going strong. In the repair process, I polish any pivots that aren’t smooth. The pivot holes in 400 day clocks don’t wear much, so bushings are not necessary. The original mainspring is usually powerful enough to run the clock, but should be replaced if it is “set’ (lost its elasticity).

I polished the base using my polishing machine, then lacquered it. I hand polished the columns and platform after removing the old lacquer. These brass bases sometimes develop stress cracks (see the close-up photo below for a crack in the rear of this base) but they can usually be polished successfully. Some Kundo bases from around 1950 develop long cracks along the edges and may fall apart during polishing.

This clock has a plastic suspension guard to protect the thin suspension spring during shipping. Earlier Kundo clocks have metal guards. This one looks spotted because someone applied solvent to it.

Repair job 5536. Horolovar back plate similar to no. 1407B but has an “L” on it. It uses a 0.032 inch thick suspension spring. There was a bent tooth on the center wheel because someone had tried to turn the gears with pliers!

Related posts:

1. Kundo Nickel Plated 400 Day Clock, 1950s
2. Kundo Miniature Painted 400 Day Clock
3. DeBruce 400 Day Clock by Kundo, 1950s
4. Kundo and Welby Standard 400 day Clocks with Large Dial
5. Kundo Standard 400 Day Anniversary Clock

I repaired this modern-styled mantel clock. Seth Thomas made it and sold it under the “Plymouth” name. The movement has two date codes on the back:

• 11 40 (November 1940) on left rear movement leg;
• 4506 (June 1945) on strike hammer bridge.

I can’t explain why there are two date codes, perhaps they made the movement before World War II, then finished and sold it after the war (they discontinued clock production for several years during the war). (Note: the owner of this clock states that it was bought during the war. This would mean that the 4506 is not a date code, perhaps it is a model number?)

The case is 8 5/8 inches tall and 12 3/4 inches wide. The dial is silver plated brass, with printed numerals, etc. The minute hand is 2 1/2 inches long from center to tip. The hands and hand nut are silver-plated. The minute track is 5 inches outside diameter. The movement runs over 8 days on a winding and strikes the hours and half hour on 2 chime rods.

See more photos.

This clock has Seth Thomas’s later type of mantel clock movement (the one that replaced the No. 89). In the past, I didn’t like this movement, because it is subject to severe wear due to its overly strong mainsprings. I have discovered that it will run well with weaker mainsprings (see 1940s Seth Thomas 8 Day Time and Strike Clock Movement for another example of this movement, and Two Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clocks, 1938 and 1945 for another example).

This movement has suffered wear (see photo of the worn bushing above). A previous repairer installed many bushings off-center. It appears that first, off-center rear mainwheel bushings were installed, then all the other bushings were installed off-center to keep gear depthing correct. I tested all the gear depths, and left the bushings off-center except for one that needed moving. The rear time second wheel pivot was rough (the surface was like a fine file), which is why there was so much wear to its bushing. I polished all the pivots and replaced a bent wire in the center pinion.

I replaced the too-strong original mainsprings with weaker ones.

Original mainsprings:

• Time 11/16 x 0.0183 x 80 inches;
• Strike 11/16 x 0.018 x 80 inches.

New, thinner mainsprings:

• Time 11/16 x 0.0161 x 80 inches (Timesavers 20506 shortened by 16 inches);
• Strike 11/16 x 0.0167 x 80 inches (Empire Clock 280-17-505 shortened by 16 inches).

(Note: supplier Empire Clock is no longer in business.)

The movement runs extremely well these mainsprings, and would probably run well with even thinner springs (perhaps 0.015 inch thick for the time mainspring). Both mainwheels are 25% worn due to the original strong mainsprings. The clock runs well in spite of the tooth wear.

The pendulum bob is 1 13/16 inches diameter and weighs 4 ounces. The suspension spring is 0.004 inches thick, and the pendulum rod is 2 millimeters diameter.

The inside of the rear door has an instruction label. The label includes the following:

Guarantee and Directions
Covering Clocks equipped with
No. 4300, 4500 and 4600 Series 8-Day Pendulum
Strike Movements in Tambour Cases.

Text here about the clock

Instruction text here

The Plymouth Clock
Thomaston, Conn.
Z-34P

The number 414 is stamped at the bottom.

Repair job 5534

Key: No. 6 large end, No. 0000 (4/0) small end.

Related posts:

1. Two Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clocks, 1938 and 1945
2. Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clock
3. Seth Thomas Tambour Mantel Clock
4. Seth Thomas Mahogany Adamantine Mantel Clock
5. 1940s Seth Thomas 8 Day Time and Strike Clock Movement

I recently repaired 3 Schatz cuckoo clocks, and have photos of another I repaired several years ago. These examples show 4 case styles: maple leaf, hunting, oak leaf and multi-color. An earlier post shows the movement and gears of the Schatz hunting model cuckoo clock.

Schatz introduced their cuckoo clock movement in 1950, and probably made cuckoo clocks up until the late 1950s or early 1960s.

The movements are the same design, but I noticed some variations:

• There are 2 different logo circles on the back plate. The earlier ones say: ”Jahresuhrenfabrik Germany” around the circle and “50″ in the center.  The later ones say: “Aug. Schatz & Sohne Germany” around the circle, and “KU 50″ in the center.
• One of the “50″ movements has a brass lever to open and close the cuckoo door, the others have a blued steel lever.
• The clocks with “50″ movements had lighter weights that clocks with the “KU 50″ movement. See bottom of article for a list of weights.

See a Schatz sales brochure that shows 2 models of cuckoo clock.

See more photos of the maple leaf cuckoo clock (has a “50″ movement).

See more photos of the hunting cuckoo clock ((has a “50″ movement).

See more photos of the oak leaf cuckoo clock (has a “KU 50″ movement).

See more photos of the multi-color cuckoo clock (has a “KU 50″ movement).

(Three of them don’t have their top piece in the pictures.)

I measured the chains on the multi-color clock: 42 links per foot, 1.2 mm wire diameter.

Weights:

• Maple leaf cuckoo clock: about 2 pounds 12 ounces each.
• Hunting model cuckoo clock: 2 pounds 12 ounces and 2 pounds 14 ounces.
• Oak leaf cuckoo clock: 3 pounds 5 ounces and 3 pounds 6 ounces.
• Multi-color cuckoo clock: 3 pounds 4 ounces and 3 pounds 5 ounces.

I believe the above list is in chronological order, it seems that Schatz used heavier weights for later clocks.

The Schatz is different from most cuckoos in that there are separate controls for door and bird – bird goes in and out with each cuckoo while the door stays open. Here is a video showing this:

Repair jobs 4492, 5325, 5537 and 5351

Related posts:

1. Schatz 8 Day Cuckoo Clock
2. 1950s Quail & Cuckoo Clock, Welby, Germany
3. Antique German Quail and Cuckoo Clock
4. Another 1950′s Regula 8 Day Cuckoo Clock Movement
5. 1950′s Regula Cuckoo Clock Movement

I recently repaired this square dial Schatz 400 day clock made in November 1953. I cleaned the movement, polished the pivots and the anchor pin, and replaced the suspension spring. These clocks use a 0.004 inch thick Horolovar suspension spring. I also polished and lacquered the base and pillars. The square dial clock is not as common as the round dial model.

See more photos.

Repair job 5518.

Related posts:

1. Schatz Square Dial 400 Day Clock Made in 1953
2. Schatz Diamond Dial 400 Day Clock, 1953
3. Schatz standard 400 day clock, diamond dial, made in 1953
4. Schatz Standard 400 Day Clock with No Name Roman Numeral Dial
5. Schatz Diamond Dial 400 Day Clock Made in 1952

This beautiful clock came into my shop for repair recently. It was made by Birge, Peck & Co., Bristol, Connecticut. The accepted name for this style of clock is “Eight-Day Standard Column and Cornice Clock”.

I really like the reverse painted glass tablets in the doors. The middle glass shows “Public Square, New Haven”, and the “S” in “Square” is printed backward. The lower glass shows “Smithsonian Institute, Washington”

See more photos.

Birge, Peck & Co. was in business from 1849 – 1859. The backboard label says at the bottom: “Press of Elihu Geer, 10 State Street, Hartford; which dates the clock from 1850 – 1855.

When the clock came into the shop, the dial had brass grommets around the winding holes. These grommets were not original to the clock, and I removed them per my customer’s request.

The verge (the antique American term for pallets or anchor) had been replaced in the past with an incorrect part. The old replacement verge spanned only 7 teeth instead of 8, so I installed a new verge of the correct size. I moved the saddle (brass piece with the bearing holes) toward the exit pallet to be half way between the pallet tips to make their motions equal (before moving it, it was too close to the entry pallet, causing the exit pallet to move too far and dig into the escape wheel teeth). I also moved the crutch wire toward the exit pallet.

The backboard label has the following headlines:

Extra Eight Day
Rolling Pinion Steel Pivot
Brass Clocks
Birge, Peck & Co
Bristol, Conn.

The label features  a picture of a locomotive named “The Breeze”. The case is 32 1/2 inches  tall, and 19 3/8 inches wide at the top. The dial’s minute track is 7 inches in diameter. The minute hand is not original.

Birge, Peck & Co. was one of a series of clock companies involving John Birge. They used rolling pinions, a form of lantern pinion in which the pinion wires or “trundles” are pivoted on each end and rotate in the brass shrouds. Regular lantern pinions have the wires don’t rotate.

Here is a summary of the Birge companies as listed in “The Contributions of Joseph Ives to Connecticut Clock Technology 1810 – 1862″, by Kenneth D. Roberts, Revised Second Edition, Bond Press, Hartford, Connecticut, 1988.

• John Birge    Birge & Ives 1831 – 1833;
• Birge, Case & Co. 1833 – 1835;
• Birge, Gilbert & Co. 1835;
• Birge & Gilbert 1835 – 1837
• Birge, Mallory & Co. 1837 – 1843;
• Birge & Fuller 1843 – 1848;
• John Birge    John Birge & Co. 1848 – 1849;
• Birge, Peck & Co. 1849 – 1859.
• Clock manufacturing was discontinued in 1859 and John Birge died in 1862.

When setting up this clock, the heaviest weight goes on the right (time) side. The weights weigh as follows:

• Time weight (right): 7 pounds 11 ounces
• Strike weight (left): 5 pounds 10 ounces

The pendulum bob is 2 3/16 inches diameter and weighs 2.4 ounces. The regulating nut is not original, it should be a thin, straight knurled disc.

References:

“The Contributions of Joseph Ives to Connecticut Clock Technology 1810 – 1862″, Kenneth D. Roberts, Revised Second Edition, Bond Press, Hartford, Connecticut, 1988.

“The Greek Revival Influence on  American Clock Case Design and Empire Clock Case Development”, Lee Davis, NAWCC Bulletin Supplement 18, Spriing 1991.

Repair job 5524.

Related posts:

1. Birge, Peck & Co. 8 Day Cornice and Column Shelf Clock.
2. Birge & Fuller 8 Day Standard Cornice & Column Shelf Clock
3. How Much Weight Does a 30 Hour O.G. Clock Need?
4. Terry Clock Co., One-Day Walnut Shelf Clock