Author Archive | horologist

After 36 years of keeping clocks ticking on Main Street, the Horologist of London will be moving with the times and continuing our business on the internet through our website: www.horologistoflondon.com. Gerald Grunsell, Fellow of the British Horological Institute, came to America in 1972 inspired by it’s entrepreneurial spirit and feeling that this was a place he could start a business and succeed. In 1978 he opened up the Horologist of London on Main Street in Ridgefield specializing in purchasing, restoring, repairing and selling of antique clocks and scientific instruments. So many beautiful clocks have been sold and located in Fairfield County and far beyond. We have, and will continue to restore, repair, ship, set-up and maintain clocks from Maine to Florida and California. Fortunately all this is still possible in today’s digital world. Clocks will continue to be available for purchase through the website and, as always we will deliver it to your house to see how it looks in place for your approval. Repair of your beloved mechanical clocks will still be offered through the website as well. Simply email info@horologistoflodon.com or phone the same number that has been used for the past 36 years: 203 438-4332 and we will pick up your clock and deliver it repaired.

Many thanks to all for coming to our shop. We look forward to hearing from you and continuing our business relationship with you, and working with new customers in our new format.

It is a myth that you can wind your clock or watch too tight.  It is impossible.  The steel spring in your watch or clock is a piece of flat metal that is spiraled like a snails shell. The end of the spring at the center of the spiral is attached to an arbor; the end of the arbor is shaped like a square, and your clock key fits on it. On a watch, the arbor would have the winding button at the end of it. When you wind the spring up, it will always stop winding when the spring cannot possibly be wound any tighter.  So then, why did your clock stop when you wound it?  Quite simply, time, dust and oil.

Originally sperm whale oil was used in watches and clocks.  Being an organic oil, it would go bad, rancid and congeal with time and even corrode the metals. The industrial period produced oils of a petro-chemical source.  These oils suffered from evaporation overtime and would also congeal.  Current watch and clock oil is synthetic and is far superior to the previous oils and neither turns rancid or evaporates.  Most claim to protect the metals they are used on.  All of these oils will over time collect dust that acts as an abrasive and thickens the oil.  So now with every twist of the arbor or pulse of the spring, you have an oil which is acting as an abrasive and slowly turning into glue. This occurs not just in the spring(s) but on all the pivot points through out the whole train of wheels.

Your spring wasn’t wound too tight; it’s just stuck together.  Bring it in for us to take a look at, and we will give you an estimate on any work needed.  Most clock repairs are complete in two weeks.