Schmid-Schlenker 8-day faux anniversary clock

[Jeremy Woodoff]

There have been a few posts about mid-20th century novelty clocks by the Schmid-Schlenker Company of Germany, including I think one true 400-day clock. The clocks shown here are two versions of a miniature 8-day clock with a hairspring and balance wheel in the shape of a typical 400-day clock pendulum. I couldn't find any forum posts about this model so thought I'd show it here. The first one pictured is a recent acquisition and runs, though not for the full 8 days. The case is brass and brass-plated steel, 4 1/4" high, and the glasses on the front and sides are acrylic. "Western Germany" is on the dial, making this a post-WWII clock. The back has winding and hand-setting knobs and a third knob attached to a shaft that appears to be intended to press against the "pendulum" to keep it steady in transport. It doesn't quite reach the shaft of the balance, however. On the bottom is an adjustable screw in line with the center of the hairspring. I'm not sure what the function of this screw is. Perhaps it's an adjustable bearing for the balance shaft. The hairspring is just above the bottom plate of the case.

The last group of pictures is of a second nearly identical clock I bought some time ago. It has a broken mainspring or click so doesn't run. The dial on this one is marked "foreign" centered beneath the "6" and added to the right is "Germany." Also different from the first clock pictured are the dial numerals and the mounting posts for the movement. This one has a hole in the case back in the same place as the first clock, but it's blanked off with a screw and nut. There are four unused holes in the case bottom that align with the movement support posts in the first clock pictured. The bottom of the case has an extra screw that when tightened presses a small brass tab against the contrate wheel just below the balance spring to keep the shaft from turning. When the shaft is released the contrate wheel rotates with the hairspring and its shaft.

I would not want to try to disassemble these clocks without either a service manual or some instruction on the order of operations.

 

[Jeremy Woodoff]

Here is a brief video of the clock in motion.
Schmid-Schlenker 8-day "anniversary" clock

 

[new2clocks]

The dial on this one is marked "foreign" centered beneath the "6" and added to the right is "Germany."

Jeremy,

'Foreign' indicates the clock was made for export to the U.K. after 1926, although I have never seen 'Foreign' inscribed next to the country of origin. Either 'Foreign' or country of origin was required under U.K. laws post-1926.

Regards.

 

[Jeremy Woodoff]

It looks to me as though the dial was originally printed with "foreign" and then "Germany" was added later. Perhaps the dial was originally intended for a clock to be exported to England, but then it ended up going someplace else that required the country of origin. This case design looks well past 1926; in fact, it doesn't look pre-war to me at all. Perhaps the "foreign" dial was meant for another style clock altogether and was later adapted for this clock.

 

[CCInet]

Almost certainly the entire series of miniature Schmid clocks correspond to the early 60's and until the late 70's and into the 80's. There is a huge variety of models that imitate different styles, there is even a miniature grandfather clock. Some are fantasies like the one I put below and of which I have one worked.
They are usually not of good quality, low quality brass and a lot of plastic and acrylic.

 

[Jeremy Woodoff]

Here is a brief video of the clock in motion.
Schmid-Schlenker 8-day "anniversary" clock

Looks like the original link isn't working. Try this one: