ABOUT THE CLOCKS I SELL
All antique clocks are not created equal. Clocks that you will find on my website represent a small cross section of the finest clocks ever made. The clocks I sell offer the smart buyer great value and beauty unmatched by contemporary clocks.
Clocks you will find here are primarily from Germany or Austria. All German clocks are not created equal either. Lenzkirch clocks were the finest, highest quality, and most eye appealing of all German clocks. There were many many thousands of German clock makers. Few if any achieved the quality that Lenzkirch clocks achieved.
True Vienna regulators were all made in Austria. Some will say the only true Vienna regulators were made in Vienna (Wien). Regardless, they are all weight driven and not spring powered. German clockmakers also made many weight powered clocks too include Lenzkirch and Gustav Becker. Lenzkirch and Gustav Becker weight powered clocks are often referred to as Vienna Regulators. Technically they are not. They are mass produced factory clocks. Early Vienna regulators were hand made in small shops by master clockmakers. Later there were a couple factories in Austria like Remember. Their quality could not match that of the early masters.
The clocks I sell are made of the finest materials available at the time. The hardest steel, the hardest brass, the rarest woods and veneers. They were machined, fabricated and assembled with the highest skill workforce ever to exist. If it took 100 hours to make something, it took 100 hours to make it. They did not try to make it in 5 hours like we do today.
Antique clocks require some knowledge on the part of their owner. The owner needs to know how to hang the clock, install the pendulum, synchronize the strike mechanism if applicable, set the clock in beat and wind the clock. All that is just to get it set up and going on day one. The cases need care. They should be cleaned with a soft cloth. Never use any harsh chemicals to clean your clock. I recommend a good antique wax occasionally to bring out the shine and protect the wood. The movements if continuously run need to be professionally cleaned and oiled every 5-7 years. There really is very little the owner can oil on a clock. Never oil the teeth of the brass gears.
Most people will change the oil in their cars every 3000 miles. Those same people get their clock serviced when it stops and will no longer run. If you did that to your car and ran it until it stopped do you think an oil change would fix it? No it would take a new engine. The same goes for your clock.
Do not be like that person. Have your clock serviced regularly and it will last many more life times. Almost every clock I sell is already over 100 years old. Some are much older. I have been a good steward and caretaker of them over the years bringing some of them back from the edge of doom. My only request of their new owners is that they continue to take care of and maintain their clocks. I promise you that if you do this, they will give you, your family and friends a lifetime of beauty and enjoyment.
All of the clocks I sell have been professionally cleaned, oiled, and tested and perform as they were originally intended to. There are a few clocks on the site that are on consignment and ship from other locations. The owners have all assured me their clocks are in working condition. They may or may not have been recently cleaned and oiled.
If you buy a cheap clock at auction and find it does not work when you get it home, that is exactly what you have, a cheap broken clock. One that may or may not be able to be repaired. When you buy a clock from a reputable clock dealer they will stand behind their clocks. If they do not then they are not reputable. I stand behind every clock I sell.
Most all clocks will require some attention after shipment. If you are not knowledgeable about setting up and caring for an antique clock you will need a good clock person's assistance. I may be able to assist you in location a clock person in your area.