Antique Clock Repair
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Welcome to Mark Headrick's Horology Page! This website is about modern and antique clock repair and horology with the equivalent of over 150 pages of clock repair information for antique clock repair and for modern clock repair. It also contains extensive information about clock and watch escapement design and many escapements in motion that show the viewer how each escapement is supposed to work.
Please select a 'Website with Frames' at the bottom of this page if you have the latest browsers: the websites have differents URLs, but they all have the same content. Note that if you have an older browser, or if you have WebTV, you should select 'Website without Frames.'
If your interest is watches, be sure to visit my photo gallery of watch mechanisms, including Elgin, Hamilton, Bulova, Longines, Omega, and a Rolex. While most people know what a beautiful watch look like on the outside, few know what to look for inside. There are several pages that show what the mechanisms look like as they are disassembled.
My business is antique clock repair in Austin, Texas, and provide in-home service for grandfather clock repair in the Austin area. The most well-known clocks in this area are Seth Thomas, Herschede, Howard Miller, Ridgeway, and Sligh clocks. I provide service for all brands of mechanical clocks, including brands that are less well-known, such as Atmos, Gustav Becker, Lenzkirsch, Sessions, Waterbury, Gilbert, Ingraham, Smith, Hermle, Schatz, Kundo, Ithaca, Elliott, Emperor, Hammond, and Revere Telechron electric clocks.
If you need grandfather clock repair service in the Austin area, or if you need modern or antique clock repair, please select the Abbey Clock Clinic link below. Most of my business as Abbey Clock Clinic is grandfather clock repair in the Austin, Texas area.
Seth Thomas, Herschede, Sessions, Waterbury, Gilbert, Ingraham, Ithaca, Emperor, Hammond and Revere Telechron are all American clock brands that are no longer being manufactured, although Seth Thomas and Herschede do continue to exist in name only. Howard Miller (Zeeland, Michigan), Sligh (Zeeland, Michigan) and Ridgeway (Pulaski, Virginia) are three companies that manufacture clock cases and install German mechanisms such as Hermle, Urgos and Kieninger, of which my favorite mechanism is the Kieninger grandfather movement with triple chimes and cable-driven weights and a lyre pendulum. The quality of the cabinets made by Howard Miller, Sligh and Ridgeway should be judged individually as pieces of furniture since it is difficult to generalize about quality. Emperor used to make grandfather clock kits for those who wanted to make their own Emperor grandfather clocks. Seth Thomas, Hammond and Revere Telechron made many electric clocks and these tend to be undervalued because electric clocks are not sought after by collectors. Ithaca calendar clocks are very much desired by collectors since the Ithaca calendar mechanism is an added feature (collectors love features). Most of the clocks made by Seth Thomas, Ingraham, Sessions, Waterbury and Gilbert had recoil escapements and pendulums. Smiths and Elliott are British clocks: Smiths clocks were mass-produced, whereas Elliott clocks were high grade and of low-volume production (so desired by collectors). Gustav Becker, Lenzkirsch, Kundo and Schatz are all German clocks of good quality. Gustav Becker and Lenzkirsch clocks are very much desired by collectors. The Kundo and Schatz labels are most frequently found on 400 days clocks (anniversary clocks). Atmos clocks are made by Jaeger Le Coultre in Switzerland. Atmos clocks are designed to be wound by the expansion and contraction of a bellows, which is affected by changes in atmospheric temperature and pressure. Atmos clocks are among the finest mechanical clocks available today: each Atmos has what is essentially a watch escapement and a torsion pendulum (like an anniversary clock pendulum) and all brass parts are gold plated.
Many fine watches were made by American companies, such as Elgin, Waltham and Hamilton. Their pocket watch mechanisms are particularly beautiful, blending form with function. Hamilton made Railroad watches that collectors actively seek. Elgin watches, though less collectible than other brands because of their vast numbers, have readily available parts that are interchangeable, making repairs much less complicated. Hamilton parts are more difficult to find. Parts for European watches are more difficult to find, particularly for old pocket watches. Parts for older wristwatches are becoming more difficult to find, even for famous names like Omega, Longines and Rolex. There are two pages here that you can view to compare a classic Omega with a Rolex. The difference in craftsmanship is visible. The biggest difference is in the balance wheel and hairspring. These watches are expensive, but with good reason. You can compare them with the inexpensive watches in the gallery to see the differences.
