Posted 12 years ago
Vlauretta
(1 item)
Im looking to find out some information on this clock. Its been in my family for as long as I can remember. My grandmother was the original owner and when she passed in 1974 my uncle took it. He passed two weeks ago and I asked for it. I know when I was a kid it worked and there was a key for it which is now gone. Im looking for a bit of history on my little friend as well as maybe a place to get a key for it? Its in beautiful conditon on the outside, no scratches or cracks or dings that I can see but Im no expert. Inside the back door where the workings are is a label.
On the label it reads
8 day keywound clock with A 400 series chime movement. The number 6110 is stamped on the label so Im assuming its a serial number of some type. Also MEDBURY GW is stamped on the label. There is a number 8 stamped on the wood as well.
On the brass movement is engraved Made in Germany for Seth Thomas Clocks Thomaston Connecticut and the same 6110 is engraved there as well. Im guessing that means its the original brass movement.
Any history or links for me to read up on would be greatly appreciated as I seem to have hit a brick wall as far as finding info out.
Actually it says MEDBURY 6W not GW just realized that
The Medbury model was a popular line for Seth Thomas. I believe that the 6110 may be a date of manufacture code translating to Oct. 1961. The "6W" was Seth Thomas' designation for the wind-up Medbury models. The electric model would have been designated as a "6E". One just sold on eBay a few days ago for $187.50. If you do an eBay search for "160752215525" (Item number) you should be able to see details of the listing. Seth Thomas stopped manufacturing their own movements in 1956 and starting importing German movements for their cases. As far as key size/source is concerned, I think that these movements still used a size 6, single-ended winding key but I'm not certain. I can see that the speed of the movement was regulated with the nut at the bottom of the pendulum bob (weight). If you can measure the winding shaft, you can get the key size you would need. There is a chart at
http://www.clockworks.com/ckeys.html. You can also order keys from them. If you know the size, you can also find them on eBay. These old mechanical clocks require periodic maintenance if you're going to run them. If you have a good clock repair shop nearby, you might just take it in to have them look at it and size the key for you. You could also get an idea of what their service charges are. It's usually relatively expensive to have a chime mechanism overhauled, but yours may be fine, or perhaps it might just need a light application of oil placed on the pivots. Don't try to oil the clock yourself without reading up on it. There is a lot of good information on the internet. Hope this helps you. Regards.
The info at the bottom of your paper label dates your clock to after 1930...
There is a web site that has all of your answers and more ,>>>>
http://antiqueseththomasclocks.com/default.php
Thank you both so much. I just remember loving this clock as a kid and also being scared of the sounds at the same time lol. Im going to see if I can find a good clock repair service and take it in. Im close to San Francisco so Im sure there has to be places around that can do it. Can't wait to get it up and running again.
You're very welcome Vlauretta! I'm sure that San Francisco is bustling with good clock shops. One place I always recommend as a potential referral source is the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors' Online Business Directory. You can search for Clock Repair/Shop by geographic location. Go to: http://nawcc.org/index.php/business-directory. Of course, word of mouth is always the best way to find a good shop with reasonable rates. Good luck, enjoy your heirloom and thanks for sharing it!