Old ships bell clock

[skyactiv]

My dad removed an old key wound Schatz ships bell clock before selling his sailboat he's had for years. He has never had it serviced and didn't wind it when he sailed Lake Erie.
He gave it to me. I wound it a little and it runs and chimes. I'm going to take it to a clock shop to have oiled. I'm thinking about putting it in my metal building. It will see big temp and humidity swings
just as it did on a boat. Do big weather swings affect these clocks when in operation?

 

[kschachn]

Originally Posted by skyactiv
I'm going to take it to a clock shop to have oiled. I'm thinking about putting it in my metal building. It will see big temp and humidity swings just as it did on a boat. Do big weather swings affect these clocks when in operation?

Bell clocks didn't have to be as precise as the ship's chronometer and could be periodically reset to compensate for timekeeping variations.

Even so, you can minimize those variations by using jewled movements that are not lubricated. It depends on the construction of your clock as to whether it is lubricated or not.

 

[irad]

I recall a watch repair man saying "always use less oil than you think". A jeweler's oil dispenser needle was as narrow as a small hypodermic needle and little came out.

 

[Kestas]

It may need cleaning before reoiling.

 

[maxdustington]

Awesome clock man, wind her up and see if it keeps time. I'd say that's too cool to leave outside, even if it is meant for the high seas.

 

[PimTac]

Nice looking clock. How old do you think it is?

 

[skyactiv]

UPDATE: I took it to a shop and got quotes. $65 to re-oil and $225 to overhaul the movement.
The shop didn't recommend re-oiling it. The clock still runs. He said because it has an escapement movement, re-oiling a dirty movement will wear it out faster
and said either to run it as is or have it overhauled. He said the clock was made in 1983.

 

[AZjeff]

I was going to say get ready for sticker shock from the clock shop but you already got it. We have a Regulator schoolhouse style clock of similar vintage that got dropped and I took it to the local clock shop....close to $300 to fix and he didn't even open it up and look. I did some searching and can buy a new identical movement for $100 and swap it out, no doubt what he was going to do.

Neat clock with family memories. Run it a while and see how it does?

 

[dave1251]

Let us know how it runs and keeps time. It's a nice clock.

 

[skyactiv]

Originally Posted by dave1251
Let us know how it runs and keeps time. It's a nice clock.


It runs and chimes good, but gained 4 minutes since between Monday afternoon and this morning. It has a slow-fast adjustment on the face of the clock and I turned it back 1/8 of a turn.
The number of rings would confuse anyone not in the know.