About the service
I restore vintage and antique mechanical clock movements — mantel clocks, wall regulators, carriage clocks, and pocket watches — for collectors, antique dealers, and owners of family heirlooms that have stopped keeping accurate time. The service starts with a full photographic record of the movement before any part is touched, so every bridge, wheel, and pivot goes back exactly where it belongs. The movement is then fully disassembled: mainspring safely let down and removed, gear train separated wheel by wheel, escapement (anchor, pallet, or verge depending on the calibre) taken apart for inspection under magnification.
Each brass and steel component is cleaned in an ultrasonic bath with a specialised watchmaker's solution to lift decades of dried oil, verdigris, and grit from pivot holes and gear teeth without abrading the original finish. Worn pivots are burnished, bent teeth are straightened, and any broken click springs, worn bushings, or cracked mainsprings are replaced with period-appropriate parts sourced or hand-fabricated to match the original calibre. The escapement is adjusted for correct depthing and beat before reassembly.
Reassembly follows horological best practice: fresh clock oil and grease applied exactly where required — never over-oiled — using modern synthetic lubricants formulated for longevity. The movement is regulated on a timing scale until it holds accurate rate in multiple positions, then run for several days under observation before delivery. Case and dial cleaning (brass polishing, wood case touch-up, hand straightening) is available as an add-on. Typical turnaround is one to two weeks depending on movement complexity and parts availability; a written condition report with before/after photos is included with every job.
Each brass and steel component is cleaned in an ultrasonic bath with a specialised watchmaker's solution to lift decades of dried oil, verdigris, and grit from pivot holes and gear teeth without abrading the original finish. Worn pivots are burnished, bent teeth are straightened, and any broken click springs, worn bushings, or cracked mainsprings are replaced with period-appropriate parts sourced or hand-fabricated to match the original calibre. The escapement is adjusted for correct depthing and beat before reassembly.
Reassembly follows horological best practice: fresh clock oil and grease applied exactly where required — never over-oiled — using modern synthetic lubricants formulated for longevity. The movement is regulated on a timing scale until it holds accurate rate in multiple positions, then run for several days under observation before delivery. Case and dial cleaning (brass polishing, wood case touch-up, hand straightening) is available as an add-on. Typical turnaround is one to two weeks depending on movement complexity and parts availability; a written condition report with before/after photos is included with every job.
