# Highlands pendulim wall clock - won't chime...



## StephenWatch

I have recently acquired a Highglands Pendulum Wall clock. (An inexpensive, but to my taste wall clock circa 1970s?) On getting it, I wound up both the right hand side, and the left hand side. The 'clock' has been working great, but it has not chimed once since I've had it. The left hand 'key' slot is 'fully wound' and has not released one single bit since I initially wound it. Is there something simple I can do to 'release' the spring at all, and get the chiming mechanism to acitvate?


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## 124Spider

Probably, but it's impossible to say without seeing the clock's guts, up close.

It probably is simply something stuck, that someone familiar with how this clock (apparently a simple two-train time-and-strike clock) works could solve easily.

But it's also likely that the clock needs a good overhaul anyway. Given that you are not familiar with how these work, perhaps you should just bring it in to a competent clock fixer for an overhaul.


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## StephenWatch

124Spider said:


> Probably, but it's impossible to say without seeing the clock's guts, up close.
> 
> It probably is simply something stuck, that someone familiar with how this clock (apparently a simple two-train time-and-strike clock) works could solve easily.
> 
> But it's also likely that the clock needs a good overhaul anyway. Given that you are not familiar with how these work, perhaps you should just bring it in to a competent clock fixer for an overhaul.


Many thanks for your reply. I picked the clock up very cheap, and taking it to a 'professional' is not on my radar. If I break it further, well, I break it. Unfortunately, the mechanism is totally enclosed, and the only way I see of exposing it, is to dismantle the face. I'm reluctant to do this as the 'clock' works just fine! I open up G Shock watches often and potter about in them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I just don't know the mechanics of this style of chime to know what to fettle with - but don't mind poking about to see if I can loosen something.

Do you know of a web site that would show the innards of a clock similar so I can see potentially what may be stuck?


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## 124Spider

I know of no particular website, but I'm sure there are lots of them. The clock almost certainly doesn't chime (make a melody); it probably strikes (a little hammer strikes the gong), once on the half-hour, and then counting the hour.

Good luck!


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## StephenWatch

You're absolutely correct - my use of incorrect terminology bugs me! It does indeed have the capacity to 'strike' not chime as I said. The clock has now been operating perfectly for 9 days now with no further winding, so I'm guessing it has a 31 day movement. I'm hoping that as it winds down, the striking mechanism might judder into life all by itself - I'm an eternal optimist... :-d


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## John MS

It may be old dried oil that is holding the strike mechanism in place. Removing the hands and dial should reveal a double spring time and strike movement that has open plates. If you know someone who has done this before it really is a simple operation to expose the movement.


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## StephenWatch

John MS said:


> It may be old dried oil that is holding the strike mechanism in place. Removing the hands and dial should reveal a double spring time and strike movement that has open plates. If you know someone who has done this before it really is a simple operation to expose the movement.


I'm intrigued! Unfortunately I know of no one that has done this before. The hands look as if they can be removed by undoing a standard thread simple closed nut - would this be correct or have I oversimplified the procedure?


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## John MS

Yes the minute hand is apparently held on with a nut. The hour hand is likely a press fit. The dial is probably held on with screws around the perimeter. However I'm going to suggest that you remove the movement and clean with amonia or aerosol carburetor cleaner then reoil with clock oil. While less than perfect it is possible to clean it with.out disassembling. If you feel up to it then go ahead and remove hands and dial. Otherwise don't bother.


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## StephenWatch

Finally got round to taking face off clock, but am non the wiser - this is the 1st clock I've ever dismantled, and I just don't know what I'm looking at! Any advice would be very welcome, please treat me like a 5 year old, and patronise the hell out of me  What should I be probing at, or turning, or thumping! Took a few photos to help you point things out to me...

Photo 1









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Photo 5


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## John MS

Put the minute hand back on. Hold the movement in one hand and turn the minute hand one complete rotation. There is a snail shaped cam behind the hand that rotates the same speed as the hour hand so it should turn 1\12 a rotation. It activates the strike. Did anything move besides the minute hand?


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## StephenWatch

Well, you'll never guess what - touch wood, the old girl seems to be working!! 

As I said, I had no idea what I was doing, and as the clock was obtained so cheap, I was armed with the confidence that if I permanently broke it, so what.

You'll notice the small cog on the top left of the mechanism, I started to manually turn this & saw that it was connected to the striking mechanism. I continued to turn it for around 10 minutes, and could see how the striking mechanism scrolled round it's routine of catching in other cogs, and stirring the hammer down on the chime. Yes, I know many are cringing right now at both the lack of my technical knowledge, and my technical terminology - sorry. After a while, I just sensed that I had 'released' whatever was sticking it. I then put her back together.

I then wound up the clock mechanism, which I had allowed to run it's course after 31 days and had now stopped. To my amazement, she struck on the half hour, but otherwise, then seemed to chime at random on the hour, always different numbers and not sequential. I left it for about 12 hours to see if she'd sort herself out. I noted that the 'hour' chime did settle on at least sequential numbers, though out of sync with the hands. 

I then manually moved the 'hour' hand to match the chime, adjusted to the correct time, and for 12 hours now, it's working great! I'm chuffed to bits. Of course, it could still all go tits up, but I'm ever the optimist.

Thanks to all here for giving me the confidence to whip her face off & have a go....


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## John MS

Glad it started working again.


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## StephenWatch

Is it normal that a clock with a '30 day' clock timing movement needs the chiming spring wound up every 7 days or so, or should it also be a 30 day duration?


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## 124Spider

StephenWatch said:


> Is it normal that a clock with a '30 day' clock timing movement needs the chiming spring wound up every 7 days or so, or should it also be a 30 day duration?


Both time and strike should go for something over 30 days, if the clock is healthy. If the clock stops striking in one day, each time you wind it, it probably desperately needs an overhaul (clean-and-oil). Over time, gunk (that's a term of art) builds up around the pivot holes (or the pivot holes have worn out-of-round), so that there's too much resistance in the train for the spring to keep things going. It could also be that the spring is all used up (another term of art), but (i) this is significantly less likely, and (ii) the clock has to be taken apart (just like with an overhaul) to find out.


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## StephenWatch

124Spider said:


> Both time and strike should go for something over 30 days, if the clock is healthy.


mmm... I gather that my clock isn't in rude health from the issue of initially not chiming at all. I'm guessing the clock hasn't been touched in it's 40 year existence. The actual clock time will go on a full 32 days or so with a complete wind. The chiming mechanism will go around 8 days on a complete wind. It works perfectly well, chiming at half hour & full hour, usually within seconds of my 'radio sync' watch. It's really not a burden winding it once/week. I was merely curious if they should both match each other.


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## 124Spider

Just keep in mind that you're doing damage to the clock by running it when something's obviously wrong with it. The gunk stuck in the pivot holes acts as an abrasive, eroding the pivot holes and the pinion.

If you don't get it properly serviced, it almost certainly will continue to degrade, and the task/cost of making it right will increase.


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## StephenWatch

124Spider said:


> Just keep in mind that you're doing damage to the clock by running it when something's obviously wrong with it. The gunk stuck in the pivot holes acts as an abrasive, eroding the pivot holes and the pinion.
> 
> If you don't get it properly serviced, it almost certainly will continue to degrade, and the task/cost of making it right will increase.


If I do dismantle it again, what should I use as a cleaner? On doing an Ebay search, 'clock cleaner' just comes up with polishes for the case. I can easily obtain the correct 'clock oil' once it has been cleaned.

To be honest, it did look pretty clean when I had a look at it...


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## 124Spider

It does look pretty clean, but that could be the result of a "Duncan Swish" sort of "clockmaker." That's one who only dunks it and then swishes it around in a cleaning solution; this makes it look shiny, but does nothing to clean the gunk in the pivot holes, or clean and re-lube the springs.

I use a substance I bought from a reputable site on the internet, which I use in an ultrasonic cleaner. I don't know what else there may be out there.


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## StephenWatch

Just though I'd report back on the health and operation of my clock. A full wind on the clock mechanism, which is around 15 full rotations of the key, will keep her merrily ticking away for 30 days with no issues. A full wind on the chime mechanism, which is around 14 full rotations of the key, will keep her chiming quite happily for 14 days. There is good feedback that she needs winding on the chimes as they become quite noticeably sluggish, and the rhythm of chimes becomes very disjointed. Considering I picked her up from a charity shop for the princely sum of £12.00, I'm a very happy bunny!


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## John MS

If you don't want to get into complete disassembly a spray cleaning and a tiny bit of clock oil on the pivots may loosen up that sticky oil for a while.


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## StephenWatch

John MS said:


> If you don't want to get into complete disassembly a spray cleaning and a tiny bit of clock oil on the pivots may loosen up that sticky oil for a while.


I'm curious to find out what you're referring to as 'sticky oil'? I assume that you are advising me that my clock isn't working correctly?


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## John MS

14 days is about half as long as the strike train should run if you have a 31 day movement unless your movement was designed to have the time train run for over twice as long as the strike train. I haven't seen a clock movement like that but I suppose there could be one. Sticky dried oil is usually the cause of the strike side not running properly. And it is an excellent indirect indication the time side isn't properly lubricated.


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## StephenWatch

John MS said:


> 14 days is about half as long as the strike train should run if you have a 31 day movement unless your movement was designed to have the time train run for over twice as long as the strike train. I haven't seen a clock movement like that but I suppose there could be one. Sticky dried oil is usually the cause of the strike side not running properly. And it is an excellent indirect indication the time side isn't properly lubricated.


Many thanks for your advice. To be honest, winding the 'chime' mechanism up isn't that onerous, & I'm prepared to spend a couple of minutes doing it every 2 x weeks. If it significantly deteriorates, I'll probably action some intervention as you discussed... (I'm loathed to do it now as my motto of, "if it ain't broken, don't fix it", would no doubt see me definitely break something by accident!)


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## John MS

Ok then. Enjoy that clock.


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## tony1951

Hi Stephen.

I just bought an almost identical clock at a charity shop for £15.... Paid more than you did, but I don't think I was robbed. 









It worked as soon as I put it on the wall. I just took a picture down and hung the thing on the hook to try it out and she started ticking away immediately. I'm not sure the chimes are synchronised yet, as I only bought it two hours ago, but she looks quite nice in this dark corner of my hallway. Better than the picture anyhow.

Once of the nice things about it is that it has a lovely strong sounding tick. I love the sound of it. You can hear it all over the ground floor of the house. That 31 day spring must be exerting a lot of torque.

By the way, if you were tempted to take it apart, be VERY wary of the very large, uncaged springs. They could take your finger off or put your eye out, so don't just run it until it stops and whip the pates off or you will regret it. I've read a few remarks saying that some clock repair people won't deal with them for that reason, and for me, and I know this will be controversial for purists, as an amateur tinkerer dealing with my own £15 clock, I'll only do a dunk and swish type clean and work around the pivots with a small oiler to remove any dirt it has. Then I'll dry it and oil it after. The springs being open will be more easily lubricated if they are released. In an enclosed spring, it would be more or less hopeless trying to lubricate it without proper dismantling. Obviously, this isn't the recommended way, but for a cheapo acquisition, I'd be happy with that as a way for myself.

I reckon I could stick it on ebay and get four times as much as long as it works properly, and it does seem to.

My case is a bit different to yours, but it is the same clock.

I'll run it for a month and then take the works out and clean and oil it.


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## StephenWatch

Hey Tony, when you consider that some folk spend more than that on lunch, you definitely weren't robbed! You get a lovely timepiece, and something for your next of kin to remember you by. I addition, it's something nice to potter about, winding, oiling, sychronising etc. Like you, for the price, I guess we break every rule in the 'watchmakers' book, but as long as we're happy, who cares LOL I wish you much joy with your new acquisition, and may it tick gently away for many years to come...


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## tony1951

StephenWatch said:


> Hey Tony, when you consider that some folk spend more than that on lunch, you definitely weren't robbed! You get a lovely timepiece, and something for your next of kin to remember you by. I addition, it's something nice to potter about, winding, oiling, sychronising etc. Like you, for the price, I guess we break every rule in the 'watchmakers' book, but as long as we're happy, who cares LOL I wish you much joy with your new acquisition, and may it tick gently away for many years to come...


By the way Stephen, you need to oil this clock of yours or the strike mechanism (not to mention the going train (time side) will be wearing away rapidly.

Like I said earlier last moth, don't take this clock apart unless you have real expertise. Those springs are eleven feet long ans sharp and they'll bite you badly if you mess with taking the plates apart without taking proper precautions to hold them in.

You can work on each pivot with a q tip and some solvent like naptha (Coleman Fuel) or lighter fuel in the UK. When this has had time to soften the solidified old mineral oil in the pivots, use a jeweler's loup to examine each pivot hole and use a small oiler or pin to pick out any old gummed oil. When you are happy that you have it as clean as you can get it, apply one drop of oil on an oiler or a pin to each pivot hole. Also, oil the click - that is the ratchet mechanism that holds the spring in a wound condition when you wind it up. If the spring is wound down, oil the spring as well.

This is not the correct way to clean and oil a clock, but given your skill level, the fact that the clock is a cheap one, that you understand this isn't the best way, and don't want to spend serious money on it, this is a way to keep it going without it being wrecked in a few months.

My Highlands clock keeps time to within a few seconds a week - about three or four seconds. This is partly because it is a deadbeat escapement - which is naturally an accurate one, and that I wind it fully every week so that it is always running with the same high torque from the spring. Most clocks when run from fully wound to unwound, gain time at the start of the week and lose time at the end of the week. It is a natural problem with spring timepieces. The 31 day clock when running fully wound for a week, will perform really well.

I don't know about your Highlands 31 Day, but mine has an annoyingly loud tick tack sound. I removed my movement and put rubber washers I made under the mounts and under the heads of the screws that mount it to the case. This quietened it a good bit, but it is still very audible - just a bit less so.


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## John MS

Good advice from Tony. I've used much the same technique to keep my mother-in-law's floor clock running for years. I've read and heard descriptions of the parts explosion that can happen when an 8 day or 31 day movement is disassembled without controlling the very strong mainsprings.


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## Montala

I realise that this thread is a few years old now, but I wonder if the two clocks mentioned are still working?

From my very limited knowledge of this subject I reckon that they were both made in Korea, and from what I have read elsewhere, and as recommended earlier in this thread, should be handled with care, as the springs are a lot more powerful than they look, and if released, either intentionally or otherwise, could cause a lot of damage, not only to the clock itself, but also to whoever is working on them at the time. Broken fingers are not that uncommon, so unless you are quite sure of what you are doing... do be careful!

Clocks of this type, with a very similar mechanism, come in a variety of case styles, some a lot more attractive than others, and if cared for can last for many years, but it is always a good idea to let a specialist check it over first, just to be on the safe side.

I have just picked a similar one up myself... hence my interest!


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## rationaltime

Welcome to watchuseek.

Those Korean clocks are usually so inexpensive a clockmaker can't afford
to take a chance on them. If a customer doesn't return to pay the bill
and pick up the clock the clockmaker can't get enough for the clock to
pay for the time invested to get it running.

In my opinion just give the works a minimal amount of lube and run it.
Enjoy your new clock.


Thanks,
rationaltime


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## Montala

Hi, and thanks for the welcome!


I do agree with your comment about the cost of having any work done on this type of clock though, if they are not in good working order... which fortunately mine is, although I hadn't realised that 'Highlands' was such a popular, and common 'brand'... there seem quite a few being offered on eBay.


Mine, although similar, bears the name "P Watts - Clockmaker", which almost certainly means absolutely nothing at all!


Rather than post a picture of it on here, I have found a video on YouTube of an identical model and although I am currently not allowed to post a direct link, a search on YouTube for "Little Modern Wall Clock ,Key & Pendulum Made in Korea ** See Video **" should find it. I would guess therefore that these clocks were made in their thousands, and distributed all over the world, although I actually live in the United Kingdom.


The one I have purchased appears to be in excellent condition, and fortunately is running well at the moment. The seller had it on his office wall for quite some time, so it was well looked after.


I would be interested to know it what year it was manufactured though!


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## Montala

Sorry... I hadn't realised there are quite a few similar videos, and I actually mentioned the wrong one!

It is the top entry on a Google search for: Little Modern Wall Clock ,Key & Pendulum Made in Korea ** See Video **

Thanks!


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