Schatz 400 Day Clock with Silver Dial, June 1953

I recently repaired this Schatz “Standard” size 400 day clock. I overhauled the movement and polished the base. The base was very dark and slightly rough before polishing, I wish I had taken a “before” picture. This clock has a engraved brass dial with silver finish, not as common as the regular white enamel dial. The clock is shown here without its glass dome.

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Repair job 8756. I polished the pivots, straightened the front part of the center arbor, and installed a new suspension spring (0.004 inch thick).

I didn’t mention it (because it is routine) but of course I took the movement apart, including taking the mainspring out of the barrel. I use gentle cleaning solution (in an ultrasonic cleaning machine) to protect the lacquer on the movement plates, and I don’t leave the plates in the solution very long (just several minutes). I use sharpened pegwood to clean the pivot holes first, then use toothpicks to further clean the pivot holes while the plates are in the cleaning fluid. Then I polish the holes with a oiled smoothing broach, use sharpened wood to remove the oil, then clean again in the cleaning fluid (again with toothpicks to clean the pivot holes). Then the pivot holes are final cleaned with sharpened pegwood before assembly.

The gears and mainspring can be cleaned longer in the same cleaning fluid in the ultrasonic cleaner, for around 10 to 20 minutes.

I love repairing 400 day clocks. They are so beautiful, yet simple, and many clock shops won’t touch them. My parents gave me my first one when I was 13 years old. It’s a Schatz miniature with round base. I installed the spare suspension unit that came with the clock, and it worked! It has been running all these years. I overhauled the movement several years ago, but it still has the same suspension unit I installed as a boy.


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