How To Fix Chimes On Mantel Clock

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Mantel clocks were popular in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and many people have inherited these old chimers or purchased them from antique dealers. If you are one of those people, you need to know how to set their time or how to re-sync their chimes to match the hour should those two become out-of-sync as they sometimes do. An out-of-sync clock strikes a different number of times than the hour the little hand shows. These instructions apply only to old striking mantel clocks such as the one in the photos below. Newer chiming clocks may have different ways of synchronizing and setting.

1

Open the hinged glass cover of the clock's face to access the wind-up mechanism. ^[1]
2

Insert the key into the hole. Wind counterclockwise only until it becomes difficult to wind.^[2] Do not over wind or you will damage the mechanism.

1

Open the hinged glass cover of the clock's face to access the clock's hands.
2

Set the time by moving the big hand forward, pausing at the 11 o'clock position.
3

Listen for the subtle sound of a spring unwinding before moving further.
4

Move the big hand to the 12 o'clock position. ^[3]
5

Pause and listen for the clock to strike the number of times indicated by the little hand. ^[4] If the little hand is on 5 o'clock, it should chime 5 times.
6

Advance clockwise to the correct time. Make sure you repeat the pauses at the 11 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions as needed until the clock's face shows the correct time.

1

Open the hinged glass cover of the clock's face to access the clock's hands.
2

Move the big hand clockwise to the 11 o'clock position and pause.
3

Listen for a sound like a spring unwinding. This sound is subtle.
4

Advance the big hand to the 12 o'clock position and stop.
5

Count the number of strikes. An out-of-sync clock strikes a different number of times than the hour the little hand shows.
6

Move the big hand back counterclockwise to the number 9 and pause. ^[5] You should hear another sound like a spring unwinding. This sound too is subtle. The clock now registers 15 minutes before the hour.
7

Move the big hand forward again to the 11 o'clock position and pause. ^[6]
8

Listen again for the sound like a spring unwinding. Remember, this sound is subtle.
9

Advance the big hand to the 12 o'clock position and stop.
10

Listen and count the number of chimes.
11

Repeat the action until the number of chimes and the hour are synchronized.

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Question

What if there are two keyholes for winding?

On two keyhole clocks, one is for winding the timekeeping/chime mainspring, and the other is for winding the strike/chime spring. Do not force; just wind both to firm resistance, then reset the clock through the "chime" sequence until it catches up to the correct hour/strike number.
Question

I have a Black Forest mantel clock. What is the proper sequence for winding, and how do I prevent it from chiming at night?

Black Forest mantel clocks need to be wound backward. To stop chiming at night, pull off the minute hand and flip the switch.
Question

Why might my pendulum clock chime out of sync?

Because the arms are not properly aligned with the internal mechanism. Try rotating the arm to the chiming. For example, if the clock chimes at 1 o'clock but the time reads 1:43, move the minute hand to where it reads 1 o'clock.
Question

Should my mantel clock chime the correct number of times on every hour?

Absolutely.
Question

Where do I move the hands to reset a grandfather clock?

If you need to rewind the clock, there is often either a "key" which you insert and turn or weights that you need to draw up. After you have done so, you can then lightly push the hands of the clock to show the current time. The clock will run from the time you move the hands if it is wound. Also, some clocks have a separate wind up place for the chimes. This isn't the case in most grandfather clocks, however, some Regulators have that feature.
Question

Why does my clock have three winding holes?

The third smaller hole is not an actual winding hole; it's to make the clock run faster or slower. You can turn it to the right or left to adjust the speed.
Question

Is the correct time on the first or last strike at noon on an antique mantel clock?

Antique clocks were not calibrated to be that exact. The chimes indicate it is approximately that hour.
Question

How do I change the chime's timing on my antique mantel clock?

This depends how handy you are and on whether or not loosening the hands on your clock is difficult. Simply count the chimes at a convenient time , say 10 then stop the clock immediately. Then in your own time, loosen the hands and move them to the 10 o'clock position, now re-tighten them. Take your hands right off so there is no chance of moving the shaft. Set an alarm to 5 to the selected hour that night or the next day when that time comes to the second, start the clock again .Your clock will go out of sync if the chime spring unwinds before the time spring!
Question

How can I fix the speed of my Junghans mantle clock?

If your Junghans has not got the speed adjuster on the face, you have to move the weight up or down on the pendulum. Move it up for faster, only try 1 mm increments to start with. Some pendulums have a geared weight with an adjustment wheel which should be marked S&F.
Question

Will this solution work for an electric clock with Westminster chimes?

No electric clocks are a totally different animal - they are not run by springs but by electrical impulse. To synchronise an electric clock with a Westminster "chime" you will need to follow the manufacturer's instructions in the booklet that came with the clock. If you do not have the instructions, you can often find instructions on the manufacturer's web site, failing that, their are often 'enthusiast sites' that will have the information. When you find the instructions, print them off and save them to avoid a similar situation in the future.

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You may, however, push the big hand counterclockwise for a few minutes to reset the time as long as you never do this action between the 11 o'clock to 12 o'clock positions (except when performing a re-synchronization as outlined above). If you move the hands counterclockwise between the 11:00 and 12:00 positions and you are not trying to re-synchronize, as instructed above, the chimes and the time will become out-of-sync.

Never move the hands counterclockwise past the 11 o'clock or 12 o'clock positions from any position to the right of the 12:00 position. For instance, do not push the hand from the 1:00 position through the 12:00 position to the 10:00 position or even the 11:59 position. This action will desynchronize the clock and the chimes.
- Additionally, never advance the hands too quickly when re-synchronizing because the clock must be allowed to strike the full number of chimes of each hour.
- If you do either of these, the number of chimes and the hour will become unsynchronized.

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Resetting the time on your antique mantel clock can be a little confusing, but it should only take you a few minutes. If you haven't wound your clock yet, open the glass cover, insert your key, and wind it counterclockwise until it becomes hard to turn. Then, move the big hand forward until 11 o'clock and listen for the subtle sound of a spring. Move the big hand to 12 and wait for the clock to finish chiming. Now you can set the correct time by moving the big hand. If your chimes were out of sync, move the big hand back to 9 and wait for the sound of the spring. Then, move the hand forward to 11, listen for the spring again, and move the hand to 12. Keep moving the big hand back to 9, then forward to 11 and 12 until your chimes are in sync with the numbers. For more tips, including how to avoid desynchronizing your mental clock, read on!

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