It’s recommended to clean and re-oil your clock every 5-7 years but they often go decades without ever being touched! If your clock was recently moved or just decided to quit one day, this is most likely the cause. If a clock has been running continuously for 15 years or more, it will likely need to be rebuilt.

An oiling is routine maintenance that consists of removing the old oil, checking for damage, and re-lubricating the movement. An overhaul is more labor intensive, the entire movement will be disassembled, pivots will be polished, bushings are added, and parts are replaced as needed. An oiling is fine for newer clocks with less wear, but if the clock is likely to stop again within a few years, an overhaul will be recommended to guarantee the work.

Depending on how many other jobs I have, it can take anywhere from 3-12 weeks for work to be complete. Clockwork itself takes several days to work through the movement and make all necessary repairs. After the work is done, I test the clock for any timekeeping or chiming issues for at least 1 week. If I need to order a part, that easily adds 1-2 weeks onto the timeline.

This answer completely depends on you! Realistically, most clocks do not hold a lot of market value today, making it hard to justify the cost of repair. Modern, battery-operated clocks for example, you are probably better off just buying a new one. However, many older/antique clocks cannot be replaced, especially if it’s a sentimental piece, so absolutely let’s get it fixed!

If your clock says “31 day” on the front dial, that’s an indication that it was made in Korea, China, or Japan. These clocks are notoriously difficult to work on. Over years of experience, I’ve come to recognize that the metallurgy is very soft in these movements, often leading to more issues than I can solve and makes warranties on the work impossible. In some cases, all that’s needed is a light oiling on the gears but that is all that I’m willing to do.

Short answer, No! This is a common misconception about clocks and watches that does not actually happen. Clock springs are very long, coiled springs of flattened, tempered steel and overwinding would take some SERIOUS force. In both watches and clocks, there are built-in stopping points that you are actually expected to reach each time you wind the mechanism up. So if your clock isn’t working, the problem is almost never “overwinding” but often just old oil or wear that has caused the gears to freeze.

All clocks should have a way to adjust the timekeeping.

Some will have a small hole somewhere on the front dial with S and F on either side: in this case you will take the smaller end of the winding key and rotate the knob towards “S” to make it slower or “F” to make it go faster. One full turn of the key will make a difference of 2 minutes in 24hours.

Other clocks are adjusted using a rotating knob at the bottom of the pendulum. Rotate the knob further up the pendulum to make the clock go faster, and lower the pendulum weight to go slower.

Short answer is no. Although I worked with a very experienced watchmaker for many years, I specialize in larger timepieces like clocks. I can do small repairs such as batteries and band replacements, but I do not have extensive experience with mechanical watches, so it’s best to do some research and look at other options in your area.

Electric clocks can be a very tricky topic. They are more complicated than mechanical clocks and fixing them often depends on the condition of the movement, electrical components, and even the value of the clock. Many electrical clocks were manufactured as cheaper alternatives to mechanical movements, making it harder to justify their repair.

If there’s no electrical signals going to the motor, then I will often recommend just replacing the whole inner workings with a battery-operated movement. This is very cost effective, and I can often make the clock look the same as it did before, or at least very simila.

If the electricals still work, then the motor will usually need to be cleaned or rebuilt, and this will often cost as much as servicing a fully mechanical clock. So simply be aware of this when considering getting the clock repaired.