Proper care and feeding of an Asprey chinoiserie clock

[coreymsnow]

Hi friends!

My mom has a chinoiserie clock ("Chinoiserie" is the term for the paint/decoration style on the case) that she wanted me to take a look at. She's pretty sure it's an Asprey, but the only markings on it are "Made in England" stamped on the underside of the case, and the same printed on the enamel dial.

Pictures below. I was instantly interested in it because it has a watch-type balance and escapement that hangs on the outside of the rear plate. The escapement and some of the movement is jeweled.

I can't find any hallmarks, but the back of the dial has some kind of mark I don't recognize. I'm not sure if it's relevant or just a batch mark for when it was being made or something like that.

The clock is really pretty. It doesn't run, but it really wants to- if you nudge the escapement it ticks for a few seconds, then stops- I think it's probably just in dire need of a good cleaning. The wheels all turn when the setting stem is turned, the balance, escape wheel and pallet fork all look great. The pallet fork jewels seem fine also. I swear it's like a pocketwatch writ large.

It's a left-hand wind. There was a lot of wind in it when I got it, and letting the mainspring down was nerve-wracking. The key is screwed on to the winding stem and I used it to hold it and let it down slowly. Only barked my knuckles once.

I've got it partially disassembled, but I haven't dived into removing the plates and getting the inner movement open. I believe the plates are lacquered. They're shiny and completely without any tarnish. There's a little pitting on one of them, but not significant and not near any of the parts.

So, my questions:

• How do I properly clean lacquered clock parts? I'm reluctant to put them in my ultrasonic cleaner, as I think it might damage the lacquer. Just hot water and soap?
• What about cleaning the wheels and other parts? I don't think they're lacquered but I don't really want to just toss them in a USC. I'm leaning toward hot water and soap followed by a rinse in 99.9% IPA (edit: Upon  further reading, IPA sounds like a VERY bad idea for lacquered parts. Mineral spirits for a rinse instead?)
• Proper lubrication- if it's as much like a watch as it looks, it needs very little and only in the right places. What oil should be used? I've read some people even use synthetic motor oil!
• Mainspring- I don't have a winder suitable for one that size, and it looks to have a LOT of power when it's under a wind. Does it need to be taken apart or can I leave that alone?

Thanks for any insights and information, and I appreciate your time!

-Corey

Edited December 14, 2024 by coreymsnow
Adding information, correcting typo

[coreymsnow]

Update:

Clock is totally torn down, with the exception of the mainspring, which I left in the barrel. All the movement parts seem very clean and are totally undamaged. The pivot holes are pretty dark and look dirty, but they're not worn as far as I can tell under a loupe. The pivots are all intact and look clean, although some of the wheels are slightly tarnished. It's an extremely simple movement.

I think I can just wash everything in very hot soapy water, scrub it with a softish brush (toothbrush maybe) and then dry it with a hair dryer. I'd like to disassemble the mainspring but I don't have a winder at the moment.

The only jewels turned out to be in the balance and escapement assembly, on the little plate hanging off the back.

Interesting thing: There are absolutely zero identifying marks on this movement. I half-expected to find hallmarks or other stamps on the parts inside the movement, but nothing at all. There is a serial number stamped on the back plate, and on the balance plate. The little bridges that hold the escape wheel and pallet fork have numbers on them- single digits.

But that's all. It's a mystery who made it, and although it looks a lot like an Asprey I'm starting to think it may not be, because I've not seen one that doesn't include their name on it somewhere.

 

[oldhippy]

No telling if this is an Asprey they normally are marked on the dial. What you have is an 8 day time piece with  an enamelled dial roman numerals and the hands in the style of spade. Sometimes they are called drum clock movements as the whole lot just slides into the case and held in place by screws. It has a platform escapement of low quality because of lack of jewels, escape wheel pivots and pallet pivots are not jewelled, so look for wear on pivots and pivot holes. 

 

Cleaning this type of movement. The platform should be cleaned in a watch cleaning machine including the screws. The clock movement all the brass parts should be polished, I always used Brasso and polished up with a clean rag then washed out with petrol and dried. There is no need to lacquer the plates as no one can see the movement. Use pocket watch oil on the platform and a good clock oil on the movement. You should remove the mainspring with a clock mainspring winder, check the spring for wear at the ends and make sure it is in good condition, if it is out of shape and looks tired replace it. I would say this is Edwardian the chinoiserie is poor and there isn't much of it most clock movements from that time lacked the quality and finish of clock movements from Victorian times 

[coreymsnow]

16 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

No telling if this is an Asprey they normally are marked on the dial. What you have is an 8 day time piece with  an enamelled dial roman numerals and the hands in the style of spade. Sometimes they are called drum clock movements as the whole lot just slides into the case and held in place by screws. It has a platform escapement of low quality because of lack of jewels, escape wheel pivots and pallet pivots are not jewelled, so look for wear on pivots and pivot holes. 

 

Cleaning this type of movement. The platform should be cleaned in a watch cleaning machine including the screws. The clock movement all the brass parts should be polished, I always used Brasso and polished up with a clean rag then washed out with petrol and dried. There is no need to lacquer the plates as no one can see the movement. Use pocket watch oil on the platform and a good clock oil on the movement. You should remove the mainspring with a clock mainspring winder, check the spring for wear at the ends and make sure it is in good condition, if it is out of shape and looks tired replace it. I would say this is Edwardian the chinoiserie is poor and there isn't much of it most clock movements from that time lacked the quality and finish of clock movements from Victorian times 

Thanks for the info. It does have jewels in the escapement and balance assembly, including the pallet fork, but not in any of the rest of the movement

I'm not going to apply lacquer, but I would like to keep the existing intact.

[oldhippy]

The escape wheel top is not jeweled.   

[coreymsnow]

9 hours ago, oldhippy said:

The escape wheel top is not jeweled.   

Correct. The balance is, and the pallet fork... tines? But the escape wheel and pallet fork pivots are not. Apologies for the error.

[oldhippy]

No need to Apologies for the error. We all make mistakes. 

[coreymsnow]

Got the clock disassembled for cleaning and found the bottom balance pivot is missing a jewel- the cap jewel is there but not the pivot one.  It will run for several minutes even without it.

This clock isn't worth a lot but it's fun to work on and I'd love to get it sorted.

How do I source a replacement jewel for it?

Thanks!

[oldhippy]

I expect it is a push in jewel. You need to measure the diameter of the hole for the size of the jewel and the diameter of the staff pivot. Before I give anymore advice I would like to see a photo of the staff and the hole for the jewel. Do you have a stake set or better still a jeweling tool?   

[coreymsnow]

Here are a couple of photos.

Sadly, I have neither, but at some point I want to get one. I realize this repair might have to wait until then.

[oldhippy]

I would hold off with this until you have the proper tools. 

[coreymsnow]

That was my plan. However, it'll likely be a while before I can afford a staking set and/or jeweling tool- although I understand some of them can do service as both. But I also need things like a pivot gauge. And I think this one had a jewel in a collar (broach, I think is the term), that is mounted to the plate, so I need to learn how to deal with that also.

Thankfully, much of this experience on a clock escapement transfers to watches also.

[oldhippy]

If you are going to concentrate on clocks then get yourself a staking tool. Clocks that have platforms are the ones that mostly have jewels such as French carriage clocks. You also find good quality regulators have jewels fitted in part of the movement but not all.

I don't know what you mean by jewel in a collar broach. Are you referring to the impulse pin?     

[watchweasol]

I think he means. Chaton. Type of fitting,    Jewel in a brass collar

[coreymsnow]

6 hours ago, oldhippy said:

If you are going to concentrate on clocks then get yourself a staking tool. Clocks that have platforms are the ones that mostly have jewels such as French carriage clocks. You also find good quality regulators have jewels fitted in part of the movement but not all.

I don't know what you mean by jewel in a collar broach. Are you referring to the impulse pin?     

 

5 hours ago, watchweasol said:

I think he means. Chaton. Type of fitting,    Jewel in a brass collar

Yep, that's it. Terminology isn't always my strong suit.

And I actually want to focus on watches, but clocks are fun too.

A staking set and jeweling tool- or one that can do both- is definitely on the "to be acquired" list, but the price tag is steep for me, so I have to save my pennies.

[watchweasol]

Hi Corey. To help you with the terminology     

TZIllustratedGlossary.pdf

[coreymsnow]

1 hour ago, watchweasol said:

Hi Corey. To help you with the terminology     

TZIllustratedGlossary.pdf 4.2 MB · 2 downloads

Very helpful, thank you!

[watchweasol]

A few more interesting files for your perousal 

TM 9-1575.pdf dictionary_ebauches_sa.pdf Servicing a Platform.pdf