All clocks sold through Pacific Antique Clocks are thoroughly tested and all are in fine working order before release. Please feel free to request a condition report on any clock before your purchase.

Certain clocks, either due to their condition, uniqueness, history or value have been fully disassembled and have been restored to the highest standards of sympathetic restoration.

There are many disciplines involved in antique clock restoration that demand a knowledge of the history of the specific timepiece. Some of these include early carpentry methods, lacquering, dial restoration, silvering and gilding, wheel cutting and bushing, reconstructing broken or lost parts, cleaning and lubricating, dismantling and assembly and of course thorough testing. We use the appropriate professional for the work involved, and all work is performed by craftsmen possessing a high degree of competency in the skill required. They work with care, pride in their accomplishments and a real passion for antique clocks.

Professional restoration is a methodical and time consuming process. Where possible, traditional methods and contemporary materials and parts are employed.

Pacific Antique Clocks does undertake some restoration services for clients having quality timepieces and who insist on work of the highest standard and expect special attention to detail. We have performed work for individuals, collectors and for museums.

Every clock restored by Pacific Antique Clocks is first fully dismantled, inspected and the required work is detailed before any work commences.

Please view our Price List Here.

Please contact Pacific Antique Clocks for more information on our horological restoration services.

Also, please view the pages below for more information by clicking on the images:

Dial Restoration (click here for examples)

Restoring Antique Clock Dials

Antique clock dials were made in a variety of types and styles, the country of origin can also greatly influence the type of dial and the materials employed. Antique clocks may have brass dials often with some parts silvered and others either painted or gilded. Older dials, particularly those with attached chapter rings, subsidiary dials or date dial will usually have their numbers, either Roman or Arabic, first engraved into the brass base, and then the engraving is filled with black wax (shellac). Pacific Antique clocks are renowned for their excellence in restoring brass dials, including cleaning, re-waxing, silvering and lacquering. We only use the old traditional methods that were used some 300 years ago; no modern silvering compounds or electro-plating methods are used.

Many later dials are painted. This is a process that first began in the early 1770’s. An iron base plate was coated with a whitish base then the numbers and signature would be inked as appropriate for the dial. Painted dials, usually called white dials often had decoratively painted scenes to the corners, and where included, to the arch at the top as well. Some dials had a moon phase dial where the moon disc would be decoratively painted with two moons and two scenes. Longcase, Bracket, mantle and shelf clocks often had painted dials. Pacific Antique Clocks employs experts who specialize in the professional restoration of such dials.

Some dials, often but not exclusively of French origin, employ white porcelain dials, some with painted scenes. The porcelain is fired onto a copper dial base. As with painted dials, the numbers and signature are then inked in. Unfortunately porcelain dials, if not carefully handled, have a tendency to crack or chip. Chipping will often be seen by the winding holes or on the outer circumference of the dial.

Cracking may be just a very faint hairline, or more substantial. As with painted dials, Pacific Antique Clocks employs specialists for the restoration of damaged porcelain dials.

Dials may be finely engraved or decoratively cast, chased and gilded, or silvered, some with applied enamel numerals or painted numerals. Other dials can be of paper attached to an iron base; still others are made of wood, some with applied numbers.

Whatever the form of dial, Pacific Antique Clocks can partially or fully restore your dial to improve its legibility, aesthetics, and value or to be more compatible with the condition of the movement and case. The degree of restoration will be discussed with the client who determines the degree of restoration to be undertaken.

Contact Pacific Antique Clocks for more details, and if possible, send one or more images of the dial and the clock. We will be happy to provide you with a quotation to bring your dial back to the way the original clockmaker intended.

Movement Cleaning (click here for examples)

Restoring Antique Clock Movements

All antique clock movements will have been serviced several times in their lives; this is particularly true with clocks that are more than 100, 200 or 300 years old. It is also likely that these same clocks have been repaired several times due to failures or broken components.

As styles and preferences changed through the years, many owners may also have had their clocks altered, such changes could include removing quarter chiming components, converting from a verge to an anchor escapement, removing bells and replacing with gongs or adding musical mechanisms.

As clocks changed hands over the years, or owners moved, parts became lost. Typical lost items might include finials, keys, pendulums, weights and so on. These were then replaced with whatever became available and worked. In some instances complete movements, dials and cases became separated from one another, or faulty movements were discarded and a more recent functioning movement replaced it.

Movements that failed often found their way to less skillful or less knowledgeable repairers, or the owners might improvise and attempt the repair themselves. In many instances the correct parts were either not available, could not be found or were considered too expensive. The clock would then be made to work by fitting wrong or inappropriate parts, or with incorrectly or wrongly repaired parts. An amateur may well have used copious amounts of soft solder in an attempt to repair a broken or fractured part. Unfortunately, most of these repairs will be short lived and the clock will quickly fail again. One common issue with antique clocks is that the owner expects them to run forever without servicing, cleaning or adequate lubrication. Dirt quickly builds up and old lubrication dries and thickens and becomes black. Running a clock in this condition quickly wears the pivot bearings and other moving parts. Many clocks have not been serviced in decades. Clocks need to be lubricated every two to four years, depending upon its environment, and cleaned every five to eight years, again, depending upon the environment. Some clock movements have been stored in an attic, a damp basement or a garage. The brass plates and wheels may have started corroding, a green powdery surface or pitting indicates bronze disease, and a reddish color indicates brass rot. Corroding brass components must be treated and stabilized to prevent further loss or the total destruction of the timepiece.

At Pacific Antique Clocks we understand the history, components, materials and methods originally used to construct these antique clocks. Our preferred restoration methodology is to first examine the clock and note its general construction, identify obvious faults, previous repairs and if included, all inappropriate parts and materials now being used in the clock. The movement is then stripped down to its individual components. All parts are then carefully cleaned by hand then examined individually noting all problems and items that need repair, correction or restoration. Wrong parts are best removed and the correct parts either acquired or made. Solder repairs should be corrected and all identified faults corrected. The movement is then assembled, lubricated and put into operation on an appropriate test stand. The working movement is observed and adjusted as needed. The escapement is correctly set for drop and impulse, and striking and chiming mechanisms are correctly adjusted. The movement is usually run for two weeks while observing and making additional fine adjustments. Finally the dial is replaced and the movement is placed back into the clock case. The whole clock is now observed for an additional week before being returned to its owners.

While we do recommend that work which in our opinion should be undertaken, we will advise that work which is necessary to realize an operating clock. The amount of additional restoration will always be at the discretion of the owner.

Sympathetic Restoration (click here for examples)

Sympathetic Restoration

Sympathetic restoration may be taken to imply the painstaking and sympathetic correction of all mechanical faults and wear, observing wherever possible the craft traditions employed in its original construction – Definition by the British Horological Institute (BHI).

In evaluating each clock that is brought in for restoration, in addition to evaluating the complete functioning timepiece, we at Pacific Antique Clocks evaluate the three major components of the clock individually; the case, the dial and the movement.

We will recommend what work should be undertaken, what must in our opinion be undertaken and lastly what work would further improve the clock’s performance and maintain or improve its value. The extent of the work undertaken is always left to the discretion and budget of the owner.

All work performed will be in line with the definition of Sympathetic restoration using appropriate materials and methods.