My wish list had a Hauck clock with a chronometer pendulum. This is what I've finally acquired: This is how it arrived: Ouch! Fortunately when the mainspring let go, after the movement fell off and the plates separated, it didn't damage anything. Nothing bent or broken, just some extra scratches. After all that it's only missing the nut that holds the dome an the bottom and one of the nuts from the bottom of the columns. Eric
what a disapointment. i'm glad there is no terminal damage and yoou will be able to restore it to its original grandeur. David
Eric - It sounds like the shipping gods took pity on this clock and didn't do any serious damage! I have a similar Hauck Louvre: Post Your Ph. Hauck 400 Day Clocks Here, serial #25294. also with the "chronometer" pendulum.. It is a pleasure to live with! Best regards, Mark
Eric - It will be nice to see the bits and pieces once you get into the clock. Why is the pendulum called "chronometer" style? It's temperature compensating due to the bi-metallic material used. I think John said it didn't work all that well, and now using it with the latest suspension springs might present regulation issues. He mentioned that the bi-metallic feature can be "disabled" by slipping a piece of hardwood into the ring gaps. I just finished overhauling mine and haven't had any time to consider how well it keeps time. Kurt
The first picture is after I put it back together. I had to make sure everything was there. If you look up Thomas Mercer's marine chronometer you'll see its balance wheel is very similar to the Hauck version. That could be where Hauck got the idea. Don't know who gave it the name though. Here is an article from the DUZ from 1906: They just call it a temperature compensating pendulum. I realize that it won't keep time with a Horolovar spring. Maybe I'll try one made of bronze. Eric
Mark, I have your clock in my records. Very nice! I've notice that the decorative strip around the top of the base has the flowers cut out. I can see yours is the same. That's a nice little detail. Later louvre clocks use a solid strip with the flowers just embossed, most often in the same patern. I've also noticed that the fixing screws for the compensation weights changed from machine screws with a large head to slotted grub screws. Eric
Even though the movement came loose and stuff floundered around, the dome was protected both inside and out and arrived intact. This is exactly the way I have shipped 400-Day clocks for almost 20 years with only three reported dome breakages among several hundreds of clocks shipped.
Here are some of the bits and pieces. It was actually in really good shape before it was shipped. The suspension was correct and the pendulum timed right at 8 bpm. It probably would have run. There is some damage on closer inspection that could have been severe, but everything seems to work like it should. The mainspring was wound, so when the plates separated, after bouncing around unprotected, the barrel spun against the first wheel a couple of times knocking the tops off driving side of every tooth. Luckily none are seriously bent or broken and the first wheel pinion is ok. The teeth slowed the barrel enough to prevent the spring hook from getting pushed out and bulging the side of the barrel. I should be able to salvage it. The only other damage came at the hands of some repair person in the clock's history. On almost all of the case mounted Hauck clocks I've recorded the plate pillars are mounted with the screws to the back and the pins on the front. This one was no exception until someone reversed them. To allow the dial to fit, Hauck cut them down just past the hole for the pins. When you reverse them the dial won't fit so people do things like this: "I know it fit when it came apart!" This person probably has lots of parts left over when they get finished. The minute hand is a poor replacement, and the hour hand has a strange bend to it though it looks original. The dial bezel cleaned up nicely with nothing but a little work with an old tooth brush. I'm going the clean the polishing residue from the case and clean the movement, but I won't refinish it at this time. That's all for now. Eric
It seems mu first comment might have been too soon !! Are you. able to bend or replace the teeh as necessary or even replace the barrel wheel ? In your pictures they dont all look all bent to the same amount fortunately. David
They don't look bad to me either. The problem is the ends of each tooth closer to the barrel cap are twisted off line with the rest of the tooth. The effect is it makes each tooth wider than the space between the leaves of the 1st wheel pinion. I've been working on them with a needle file and now they mesh better, but it's still a bit rough. Eric
What were they thinking?? The top finial threads are 4.5mm x 0.90 and the column bolts are 3.5mm x 0.70. Did they make every screw and nut as they needed it? What's with all these half sizes?
Eric, one of the most effective ways to straighten barrel teeth in the condition you appear to have is to get a good barrel and slowly work both barrels together meshing the teeth around the circumference. I would NOT use a file. If rolling the barrels together doesn't complete the job, use a flat blade screwdriver that "just" fits between the teeth and use it fo force each tooth to a vertical position. You can also straighten tooth alignment using the screwdriver.
John, I used a combination of methods. Several teeth needed the screwdriver but most needed the back edge dressed with a file. Running barrels together, or even the 1st wheel pinion out of the plates, felt like nothing was wrong. Once the parts were aligned between the plates was when the problem appeared. I have no way to do that with two barrels. I thought about lapping the barrel teeth with the pinion leaves, but I didn't want to damage the pinion. We'll just have to see how it runs. My progress so far is I've reworked the barrel, cleaned the movement, and have it back together ready for testing once I get the case cleaned up. I need to find a proper minute hand. Eric
