UKC

We're the proud owners of a 250 year old long case clock. It has an eight day movement. I'm just wondering if there is a right/wrong way of winding it. Should it be left until the weights run right down to the floor ie eight days, or should it be wound more often? Any horologists out there?

In reply to FesteringSore:

Common practice with an 8-day movement clock is to wind it once a week on the same day. The clock should be wound fully - it's actually quite hard to over-wind it.

The reason for this actually comes from spring-driven clocks (rather than weight-driven which it sounds like yours is) because most spring-driven designs will run slightly fast when newly wound and gradually slow down over the week. Winding once a week at the same time means that the *average* time-keeping over the course of a week-long wind-cycle remains more or less consistent.

This actually isn't a problem for weight-driven clocks, but the advice seems to work well for them too.

There's some useful information here http://www.horologica.co.uk/top/4_setup.html#SETUPwinding

In reply to FesteringSore:

Can't think of any good mechanical reason to let it run right down especially since you risk it stopping. An 8 day mechanism is presumably intended to be wound once a week but there's nothing to stop you winding it more frequently, you'll not wear anything out quicker.

Of more concern would be setting it correctly especially if it has chimes and /or any other complications like date or moon phase.

I wish I could have a mechanical clock but all the dust would kill it if my girlfriend didn't get in there first to stop it ticking. She's woken me to move my watch out of the bedroom before now!

jk
Not an horologist (though maybe one day)

In reply to jkarran:





Thanks

Go for it, a fascinating subject I think

In reply to jkarran:

Reminds me: I must get our long case clock sorted out. There was a thud one day and all the chimes went off in very quick succession! The mechanism holding the weight that powered the chimes had broken and the weight fell to the bottom of the case.

It takes a good while to set up: first run it goes for about half an hour; then you fiddle with packing under the mechanism to try and get it closer to true level and it runs for a day or so; finally you get it just right and you get the full seven days.

As an aside my father used to tinker for hours with this clock trying to get "perfect" time keeping - he was an engineering craftsman.

I inherited the clock from him and managed to get a matching case, the original having been destroyed many years ago. I had the movement renovated by a horologist and told him how my father used to spend hours(sorry for pun) on it. He remarked that that was the problem with a 20th century engineer being let loose on an 18th century machine!

In reply to Bob:

Hmm, have to say ours keeps quite good time - requiring little pendulum adjustment. It fascinates me that it goes so well after 250 years. They don't make 'em like that any more

In reply to jkarran:


Give it time.