24-11-2011, 02:45 PM
Metamec clocks were made in a factory at Dereham in Norfolk from 1947. The factory had as many as 700 employees who made over 350 different models of clocks up to 1970.
The company is still producing clocks and has a web site:-
http://home.btconnect.com/tim.loxton/index.htm
You can find almost identical clocks in mains, battery and wind-up versions dating from 1947. I have collected a few of the battery type for several reasons. They are still cheap to acquire, nicely built with susbstantial amounts of brass and fairly straightforward to repair. Another important factor to be taken into consideration in our house is the lack of space and many of these clocks can be fitted into a small area, unlike valve radios. The styles are very varied, some plain, some ugly and some simply functional.
The earlier electronic types comprise of a 'floating balance' movement driven by a pair of back-to-back electromagnetic coils each side of the balance wheel. These are energised by an old AC122 germanium transistor and a small disc ceramic capacitor. The components are mounted on a small pcb which can be removed and refitted in seconds. These clocks are easy to fix (they don't often go wrong), and most of the mechanisms are interchangeable. The AC122 can still be purchased for £0.99 so there are no problems with repairs.
I usually strip off all the old brass lacquer and leave the brass uncoated after polishing it. The construction is such that these clocks can be diassembled, cleaned and reassembled again with no stripped threads or bits of plastic to break off. I have found several with damaged battery compartments due to leakage and cracking with age.
Early clocks use a 'C' cell, later ones take the 'AA' size. Early clocks have a glass, later ones are of perspex which often have a few scratches. Brasso seems to remove light scratches and marks, so I've never bothered to buy specialist perspex polish. I haven't tried T-Cut but think that will also work.
The German company Kienzle supplied battery movements for these clocks for a while during the 1960s. There are also some movements which used electric motors to drive the mechanism, but I've stuck to the totally electronic types using a AC122 for this posting.
I've attached three typical examples of mantel clock using the same mechanism mentioned above. I've also attached a couple of pictures of the electronics.
I hope these are of interest to somebody. I have found these clocks to be quite affordable and my wife likes them too (which is a bonus). If you intend to buy any, just make sure they are the type you were looking for - i.e. battery, mains or wind-up as they all look the same from the front, especially if someone has chopped off the mains lead. As a general rule, the wind-up version does not have a second hand, but someone will probably prove me wrong.
If anyone has any queries, then just ask.
Thanks for looking.
The company is still producing clocks and has a web site:-
http://home.btconnect.com/tim.loxton/index.htm
You can find almost identical clocks in mains, battery and wind-up versions dating from 1947. I have collected a few of the battery type for several reasons. They are still cheap to acquire, nicely built with susbstantial amounts of brass and fairly straightforward to repair. Another important factor to be taken into consideration in our house is the lack of space and many of these clocks can be fitted into a small area, unlike valve radios. The styles are very varied, some plain, some ugly and some simply functional.
The earlier electronic types comprise of a 'floating balance' movement driven by a pair of back-to-back electromagnetic coils each side of the balance wheel. These are energised by an old AC122 germanium transistor and a small disc ceramic capacitor. The components are mounted on a small pcb which can be removed and refitted in seconds. These clocks are easy to fix (they don't often go wrong), and most of the mechanisms are interchangeable. The AC122 can still be purchased for £0.99 so there are no problems with repairs.
I usually strip off all the old brass lacquer and leave the brass uncoated after polishing it. The construction is such that these clocks can be diassembled, cleaned and reassembled again with no stripped threads or bits of plastic to break off. I have found several with damaged battery compartments due to leakage and cracking with age.
Early clocks use a 'C' cell, later ones take the 'AA' size. Early clocks have a glass, later ones are of perspex which often have a few scratches. Brasso seems to remove light scratches and marks, so I've never bothered to buy specialist perspex polish. I haven't tried T-Cut but think that will also work.
The German company Kienzle supplied battery movements for these clocks for a while during the 1960s. There are also some movements which used electric motors to drive the mechanism, but I've stuck to the totally electronic types using a AC122 for this posting.
I've attached three typical examples of mantel clock using the same mechanism mentioned above. I've also attached a couple of pictures of the electronics.
I hope these are of interest to somebody. I have found these clocks to be quite affordable and my wife likes them too (which is a bonus). If you intend to buy any, just make sure they are the type you were looking for - i.e. battery, mains or wind-up as they all look the same from the front, especially if someone has chopped off the mains lead. As a general rule, the wind-up version does not have a second hand, but someone will probably prove me wrong.
If anyone has any queries, then just ask.
Thanks for looking.
