Longcase clocks, are very commonly referred to as ‘grandfather clocks’ as a result of an 1875 song Henry Clay Work. Normally hour-striking, these clocks are often stalwarts of the family home with many owners having fond childhood memories looking up at the beautiful dial, and now sharing it with their own children or grandchildren. With beautifuly engraved spring-driven fusee movements, carefully constructed cases and clear, easy to read dial they are always high quality objects.
At Harris Horology, our fine technical ability means no clock is too worn out or too complex, and our fully equipped studio can tackle any kind of repair. From a routine service all the way up to a complete restoration, we draw on our museum experience and practice to keep as much character and charm as possible while ensuring all clocks are returned working reliably as they should. With a range of experience with recoil, deadbeat or verge escapements, striking or chiming and any type of complication such as repeat work or alarms, we are experts when it comes to taking care of these wonderful clocks.
As standard procedure, all clocks are dismantled down to their individual components before meticulous and thorough cleaning. This allows us to assess and carry out any standard repairs such as pivot polishing or bushing; if we find any major wear or damage, we will quote for the additional work required to remedy this. Gut lines are always replaced with a strong, synthetic modern reproduction equivalent to ensure clocks look correct while giving security to the heavy weights. We don’t use ugly steel wire!
A large percentage of our work is on heirloom items - those inherited from an earlier generation, and we work hard to bring them back to life while keeping the object's soul intact. No major visual changes or no over-polished cases, just the clock working as it used to decades ago. Read examples of our clock repairs on our blog here.
For more general clock repair information click here.
We also have the skills and expertise to take on any wooden case restoration work if it is required - longcase clocks often have damaged or worn cases from decades of living in busy living rooms or hallways as a central part of the family. We work with an expert furniture restorer who can lovingly bring wooden cases back to life and ensure they’re structurally sound while taking great care to keep the character that makes these objects so beautiful.
When more extreme repair and restoration work is required, we’re able to manufacture components like gathering pallets, count wheels or racks in-house. We are even able to replace hands, delicately shaped and polished before heat-treating to a rich blue colour. These can be made to replace damaged hands or designed from research when poor replacements have been fitted in the past.
We are experienced working with clocks from all ages and any complexity, from a 20th-century timepiece to a complicated musical calendar clock; get in touch with us as repair is almost always possible.
If you have a bracket clock and have ever been told that it isn’t worth repairing or that parts aren’t available, look no further. Don’t just look for ‘grandfather clock repair near me’, look for repair from a skilled business that cares. You can read more about our repair services here.
Normally during repair we only require the movement, weights and pendulum, so would leve the case in position unless it required repairs too. Due to the fact that the movements usually required some set-up on site we recommend for these clock we collect them, and then deliver and set them up once repairs are complete. The costs for this depend on travel time from our Brixton Studio.
Contact us here for a repair quote.
More about repairs
saving inherited treasures
Many of our customers have been told before that their clock can’t be fixed, parts are not available, or that poor repairs from the past are preventing a fix. We’ve seen it all before and parts can almost always be sourced or even made where required by our horologists in our fully equipped workshop.
Clocks worth repairing
We’ve serviced and repaired bracket clocks from all walks of life, ranging from retirement gifts to wedding presents or generations-old family heirlooms. We treat all clocks with the same care and attention no matter their value or history: they’re all worth caring for.
longcase Repairs Near Me
The closest isn’t always the best. Do you research and make sure you find a skilled horologist who cares about the work they do. We are committed to quality and offer a 24-month warranty after a service; we are trusted by both private customers and large institutions.
Contact us here for a repair quote.
Reviews
Don’t just take our word for it, trust our fantastic clients. These quotes are taken from our Google reviews:
“I inherited my grandfather clock over 50 years ago from my Uncle and due to multiple moves over this time it suffered loss of parts and breakages. I thought it was only useful as spare parts. James together with his cabinet restorer Arthur, however, worked their magic and now it has chimed and ticked its way back to life. The missing “new” parts have been seamlessly worked into the existing structure with great harmony.”
“Harris Horology has proved a wonderful discovery for me. My family’s long case clock is something that I want to work well and to look wonderful -James’ reliable, reasonable and effective work on it has made me very happy -it looks as good now -and works as well I expect as it did when first bought by a many greated grandfather in the late eighteenth century. I am very pleased with the work done on it and have already recommended Harris Horology to friends.”
“I am delighted to post 5 stars for the valuable service provided by Harris Horology. Our grandfather clock, after many years awaiting repair, now chimes in perfect time and the grandchildren can watch the weekly winding in amazement - so much for the digital generation!
Thank you especially to James who is friendly, professional and an excellent communicator.”
“James was very helpful and skilled in mending the winding and striking mechanisms of an old grandfather clock. He also gave the clock an outstanding service of the whole mechanism. All greatly appreciated and a complex job happily accomplished. A big thank you to James from well satisfied and grateful customers.”
Longcase clock repair and owner FAQs
Read on below to find information and get answers to common questions about longcase clocks, caring for them and their repair.
Why does my grandfather clock stop ticking after a few minutes, even though the weights are fully wound?
There are two common causes for this: The first to consider is that the mechanism may be 'out of beat.' For a longcase clock to run continuously and reliably, the pallet anchors must give symmetrical impulses to the pendulum. The signifier of this is that the rhythm of the ticking is uneven. This is a common problem if a clock has been moved and a professional should be able to correctly assemble and set into beat a longcase clock. It is also very common that a longcase clock will run without servicing or intervention for many years or even decades, if this is the case it’s far more likely that the clock no longer runs because oils have dried out, the mechanism is full of dust, and wear and tear is getting to an extreme level. When this is the case, the only way to get the clock to run reliably is a full service which includes cleaning, repairs and addressing wear and tear.
What is the difference between an 8-day longcase clock and a 30-hour longcase clock?
An 8-day longcase clock is driven by two separate weights hung from brass barrels, requiring winding once a week via key holes in the dial. The right weight powers the time train, while the other drives the strike. A 30-hour clock is an earlier, traditionally rural design driven by a single weight suspended from a continuous looping rope or metal chain, requiring the owner to pull the cord manually every day to raise the weight.
Why is it dangerous to leave old or fraying gut lines on a grandfather clock?
Because longcase clocks rely on heavy cast iron or lead weights, a snapped line can be catastrophic. If a fraying line breaks, the heavy weight drops instantly to the bottom of the wooden trunk, frequently smashing through the base panelling, potentially damaging the pendulum on its way down, and destroying the casework. During a full service, we automatically replace failing lines with high-tensile synthetic reproduction gut lines, avoiding modern steel wire rope, which saws deep grooves into historic brass barrels. If you see any fraying of the lines of your longcase clock, it is very important that you consider getting the clock serviced by a professional as soon as possible to prevent any major damage.