Timeslip

Clocks dont have to be 'officially' antique to be historically significant and hugely satisfying. We had the pleasure of a lovely ‘timeslip' recently when we restored the works dial clock of heritage Jaguar dealer, Quinn Lyons, formerly R A Creamer. The clock had originally been commissioned by the first dealer principal, Sydney Creamer, in the 1940's, and has always hung on the wall overlooking operations. There is extensive photographic evidence of this as it is in the background of various pictures taken through the decades.

For horologists too it has its provenancial pleasures. It has been maintained over the years by the late John Wilding, one of the most accomplished horologists and machinist engineers of recent times and whose books are still a reference source at Southern Clocks. Examples of John's work were in evidence in the movement, including a beautifully dished wheel to move its position just enough to avoid a worn area of pinion.

The clock was unfortunately badly damaged. Although it is delightful to find a clock such as this being used in its original design environment, it had clearly suffered the slings and arrows of life in a repair and restoration works. It had been dropped, we believe in the 1970s and the wooden dial surround had been broken, but repaired very solidly. The dial has been nicely repainted and repaired, as we suspect after being dropped there would have been some inevitable damage to the dial feet.

However the current damage included dented pendulum bob and bent rod, bent crutch, some stripped screw threads and most significantly a badly worn clickspring holding the fusee click in place. The consequences of this 'letting go' do not bear thinking about, as the power of the substantial and original mainspring would 'explode' into the clock movement; a scenario to be avoided at all costs.

So we love a bit handmaking. A new clickspring was made up from work-hardened CZ108 brass and filed to taper all the way along to achieve just the right level of springiness along its length, then fixed in the original mounting hole with a riveted taper pin in the traditional way. Most importantly it was made to bear on the click nicely close to its pivot allowing the minimum of force to keep it in place while keeping it secure.

The clock is now back home hanging in the principal's office next to a Jaguar knock off wheel nut. As it was hung and set in beat it was looking out over the works, down on a beautiful red E-Type, much as it no doubt did in the 1970s.

‘Timeslip' indeed.

Credit also to an enlightened customer Michael Quinn, principal of Quinn Lyons, patron of Jaguar Heritage, and Youtubist at DNA Jaguar.