$ Worth of This Gents Pulsynating Master CLock

Hard to tell from your pictures if it's salvagable or not. It's certainly been badly neglected. I might offer $25 for it, if I have seen it in person. Can't tell what the market in your locale may be for such a clock in it's present condition.

 

Just being realistic. You would probably find it difficult to find a buyer willing to pay shipping charges on a clock that heavy and large in it's present condition, so your market would be very local.

 

The last one of these i tried to buy, and that was perhaps 7 years ago, went for over $2000USD. BUT, it was in excellent condition. In the case of this one much of it's true value lies in "can it be readily restored or not?" How deep is the rust? Is it surface rust or are the parts badly pitted? My experience with a lot of really sorry looking clocks is they can be more readily restored than some folks think.

Here are 2 examples of clocks that were a mess but cleaned up decently. Not always is the repair person able to do this much, but I have done it a number of times. I have just finished the tower clock movement preserving all the original paint I could. Not lovely, but better than where it started.

From your photos I suspect the subject clock could be pretty well restored, depends on the skills of the craftsman.

 

That certainly is very nice restorative work Jim! Are these clocks in your collection or did someone commission you to restore them? I know next to nothing on Tower Clock mechanisms but that Tall Case must have taken some time to bring back from the brink.

 

Go to the completed listings in ebay in the U.K. You will most likely see items there..... not expensive.

Search for GENTS ELECTRIC

 

The Wood clock I owned but sold quite a few years ago. Sorry I don't have any photos with the dial properly silvered. Makes a big difference. I have been able to do a fair number of restorations over the years, usually for myself. Some for customers and friends too. It is always challenging but that is what makes it fun. I think the Wood clock took a bit over 16 hrs....but I have a pretty complete shop, know a number of techniques that may make such work a bit less difficult, and have experience at a lot of lesser available skills that help considerably.

The little tower clock not only needed significant rust removal, but it also needed a lot of parts made that were entirely missing. So, more trial and error was required than I like. It required making one bevel gear, making the entire aux dial motion work and engraved and silvered dial. It also required making the entire pendulum assembly, the verge, crutch, pallets, suspension spring assembly, regulating nut for the top of the suspension spring, suspension cheeks, 2 new pinions to replace those entirely worn out, remake the fly assembly, make a new bushing or so, make an entirely new rack assembly, remove about 5 pounds of rust, then save the remaining paint I could and then preserve it (hate the shiny clear coat but it is needed to preserve the paint that is left after all the rust removal), make the parts requiring new paint look more period, verify it's timekeeping on and on. I would guess I have about 120-150 hours in that little effort....but the mechanism is "saved", works well, and is pretty much ready for it's new home.

And thanks for the good words...

 

I was of the opinion the Gents clock that bought +/-$2000 USD was a $500 clock. However, when 2 people decide at an auction they both want something, all bets are off. I have in the past seen the non pendulum Gents clocks offered for sale for under $100 but shipping is a killer.....the pendulum model (sorry I don't know the correct model numbers) like you picture is the more desirable and expensive model. Glad to hear it will get the restoration it needs....