Huge New England Clock Company Wall Clock

by Mark Crane
(Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA)

Clock made by The New England Clock Company

Clock made by The New England Clock Company

Made by The New England Clock Company. Inscribed on the dial are the words - "Hark What's The Cry, Prepare To Meet Thy God Today". This is a huge weight driven clock measuring 31" Tall X 14" Wide. This clock is not a cuckoo, but rather a 3 hammer chiming clock. It has a beautiful resonating chime which chimes once on the half hour and counts out the time on the hour.


I know very little about this clock including when it was made and who would have originally owned this type of clock. There looks to be something missing from the bottom front since there are 4 holes (which you cannot see from this photo)which appears as though something sat in these holes.

Editor's Note:

Find out more information about
The New England Clock Company here.

Comments for Huge New England Clock Company Wall Clock

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RE: Pendulum Not Swinging
by: Paul

If you're not handy, take it to a repair shop. If you are handy here's my advice. Get some light machine oil (maybe hobby or specialty shops have clock oil) and an oiler with a long skinny tube. Remove the clockworks. Using a q-tip, toothpicks, etc. remove any dust or gunk that you see in there. Check all contact points; where gears mesh with gears and where gear axles connect with the cage. Clean and oil them.

Put the whole thing back together. Now for the hard part. Start the pendulum swinging. You want to adjust the level of the clock by listening to the tick-tock sound. Start with the sound being very even (same amount of time between the tick and the tock). If the pendulum stops after a while change the level of the clock. If the pendulum stops in less time you've gone the wrong way. Change the level in the other direction. I found my clock to be very finicky in this regard. Once I found the sweet spot it's been running for years with no problems.

It's actually one of the things I find endearing about this clock. It gives it personality.

Enjoy. God Bless
Pendulum not swinging.
by: Magnken

I just inherited this clock from my aunt. I grew up admiring this clock as a child and I'm pleased I now get to enjoy it's beauty in my own home. I hung it up, placed the pendulum and weights back on it, but something is not right. After about 5 minutes the pendulum quits swinging and I can't seem to figure out the problem. Any advie would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance to all who can help.
Fantastic Clock
by: Charles Beranek LaCrosse, WI

We have been married for 56 years and bought this clock in Winona, MI about two years later for $60.00 . We knew when we saw it we had to hve it. A number of years later it stop running and it was only recently I took it toa repair shop in La Crosse and had it fixed. The repair man told me it had to have bearing replaced which he did . It cost me $150.00 to fix it and i feel it was worth every cent. Until I got it back I didn't realize how much I missed out listening to the chimes. Now i go to sleep (my afternoon nap) when it chimes 1:30 and it wakes me up with the two thirty chime.
Starting Lori's Clock
by: Mike

Hi, Lori,

Your Mom was right to remove the weights on an idle clock. Hopefully, you’ll be in good shape.

It’s very easy. First, inspect the weights. As I recall, the weights were universal on this specific clock. Still, you’ll want to inspect them. Check for markings (right, left or R or L). In weight driven clocks, most often the weights differ and are specific. One is generally heavier than the other. If you find marking, hang the weights accordingly (right or left as you face the clock).

Never lay it on its side. The chains have a habit of slipping (from the internal mechanism) and binding up. Once on the wall, tug at the chains just a bit. You’ll want to both feel and hear the chain turning the cog. There should be very little resistance. The chains should dangle freely.

Next, inspect the pendulum. Make sure the bob (round disk) is hanging straight on the rod. At the top of the pendulum, you’ll see a hook. Up under the bottom of the clock, check for the coupler and attach the two. The pendulum should hang straight and solid.

Once that’s done, hang the weights on the hooks at the end of the outside chains (again, check for R or L). If the weights are low, pull on the inside chains to raise them. It’s a good rule to leave a couple of inches between the weights and the base of the clock (in other words, never pull them all the way up).

Now, here’s the fun part. Get a level and ensure that the clock is perfectly square on the wall. This specific clock in my experience was extremely fussy. Once level, simply swing the pendulum. Listen keenly. It should give you the classic tick, tock. More often with this clock, I would get the tick and not the tock (lol), which in my case meant I needed to adjust it on the wall. My clock actually ran just a tiny bit off level, and it was a matter of finding its happy place.

As a rule, whenever I moved this clock, it would run for about 15 minutes and stop. Again, its level needed to be adjusted, so expect to toy with it a bit. Once running, it’s just a matter pulling on the chain and raising the weights every few days.

If this fails, you may need to have it cleaned. It’s a good idea to do that in any case, but I have to say, I found that this clock’s works are really very resilient.

A side note: if the chime bothers you, just remove the left weight (I believe it’s the left one). That will keep it running, but also keep it quiet.

One last thing – be sure to check the back panel of the clock and you may wish to reinforce the hanging hole. It’s actually a lot of weight, especially when you’re tugging the chains every week. On mine, the back panel split, and the clock crashed to the floor in a million pieces. It took me two weeks and some hard to find parts to put it together again, so be sure it’s secure.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

--Mike
need help
by: lori

this clock has been in family for over thirty years, When bought my dad didnt like the noise of the chimes so my mom removed the weights so no one would pull the chains and more less wind it up again,it just hung on wall, now passed down to me and no manual or directions does anyone know how to get it to run ,What do we have to do with chains and weights etc. Or does anyone have manual that they can email me or sale me.Thanks for your Time
looking to purchase
by: Chris

I grew up with this clock,have loved ALL the sounds of it, very comforting...
I temporarily inherited the clock when my parents downsized, as it is my sister's clock and she at the time she did not have a home to hang it.
I gave it to her when she did and one day came across one just like it at an Antique store in Mass. unfortunatley, it was missing the steeple ornament and did not run. My neighbors father got it working for a while but the chime was not right (for me) and it stopped working again. I am looking fo purchase one,so if anyone has one please let me know.
It is the clock that has the saying "Hark what' the cry prepare to meet thy God today" from New England Clock, New Britain Ct.
Meaning of "Hark, what's the cry"
by: Paul McNeil

I believe the saying is a reference to John 1:23

He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
I have this clock too!
by: Liz

I bought this clock a while back for resale as I am an antique dealer. I ended up hanging it on my wall to enjoy it for a while. It appears to be in excellent condition with the exception of missing weights and pendulum. We are getting ready to move and downsize, so I'm getting ready to sell it. After my friend read the saying on the front, she now refers to it as my "Death Clock". Anyone know the meaning behind the saying? 08/2010
have one for sale mint to excellent cond taking offers
by: Anonymous

Please email me at Paul_Lynn2003@yahoo.com or call 716-597-9790
Putting this clock for sale on ebay this week...
by: Fred Caldwell

Just got this clock at a swap meet in Santee CA. Works great. A little creepy though, like some twilight zone episode, what with the meet thy maker quote on the front and all.

Doubtful anyone will read this before the auction is over, but I will take a pic of the weights and pendulam for the guy looking for them if he wants to email me at fredson101@aol.com

Good to know it have fake ivy in front too...thanks, Fred
Wonderful Clock (update)
by: Paul McNeil

My mother had this clock in our house for as long as I can remember (I'm 42). She never had the chimes set up for some reason. I brought the clock to my house after she passed this year. It was a real mess and I wanted to take a stab at fixing it myself before I took it somewhere (I'm pretty handy with mechanical things). After some cleaning, adjusting, and TLC I got it running. I got the chimes working too. They basically would run until the clock ran out of chain. After I adjusted some things they chime correctly now.

Over the summer with the high humidity the chimes started chiming too many times for the hour. That cleared up with the coming of autumn. The clock keeps incredible time. I have to make a 1 - 2 minute adjustment no more often than once a month.

The clock is a real treat and hopefully an heirloom to pass to my kids.

God Bless
Our New Clock!
by: Kelly

My husband and I moved from America to the UK almost 3 years ago. As a reminder of home, my in-laws just gave us this clock as they have a very similar one in their kitchen that my husband grew up with for over 20 years.

The trip across the pond seems to have tangled the right chain, but we will be bringing it to a specialist tomorrow to have it fixed. And we will definitely look into having the back reinforced.

Thank you so much for all the info on the clock, including the precautions about the back and the window box in the front. We are so excited to have this beautiful piece of history in our home reminding us of our families in America and creating memories for our children!

Kindest Regards,

Kelly
I found one of these clocks pictured
by: Anonymous

I own an antique shop in South Kingstown, RI, I have this one for sale, working on pricing it now, all parts are there.

401-284-1866
Update
by: Anonymous

Hi all,

I had originally responded to the post about this clock when I was repairing it. It was mangled due to a fall, which seems to happen to these, unfortunately. The works were jammed, and the suspension spring snapped, but after a little work, it’s now back on the wall at my Aunt’s house and running beautifully.

The works in mine are Connecticut Clock Company and not Hermle, as I originally guessed. The New England and the Connecticut Clock Companies are both a product of Sessions (a great clock maker) and were formed by Wm and Phoebe Sessions, as the previous poster wrote, and this clock is a classic representation of their designs at the time. As to the Urgos markings, I’m just not sure, as I couldn’t find an occasion where they used movements other than their own, but I could be wrong (newbie here).

Value, from what I found in my research, is limited. It won't fetch much at auction, I'm afraid. To my family, however, it's priceless.

I also had issues with striking (either not striking, or sounding funky). Chain drives are very prissy especially if you move the clock (or God forbid lay it down). In my case, it was as simple as un-jamming and realigning the strike chain (right) over the gear and settling it. If the right weight isn’t dropping in time with the left, this may be the problem. If both weights are dropping, then you should hear the strike engage. In this case, you may want to check the position of the rods. After I reset the chain drive, it still didn’t chime. But this was only because the hammer wasn’t making contact. If it sounds funky, it’s likely a simple adjustment of the rods (they may be touching, or just too close/far from the hammers). Beyond this, it may require a cleaning or other work.

As to the pendulum and weights… I wish I had still had the clock here to photograph it. But given that movements may vary, you should still cross reference the model of the movement to ensure the proper replacements. This could be tricky, depending on the movement. If you can find the numbers on the back of the movement, do a search online to see if you can get any information on weight required. Weights themselves are easy, and universal, they just have to be right. The pendulum is more about length (the bob isn’t a critical factor, as the bob swings free of the case on this clock), but you must ensure that the “handshake” (where the pendulum connects to the suspension arm) is compatible. The way I did it was to visit a clock shop and got a load of great advice. Here’s where I got my parts: http://www.clockworks.com

If anyone finds one of these for sale, please post it!

Thanks and good luck!!
Can someone tell me?
by: Frank

I just purchased this same clock for $20.00 unfortunatley it is missing the pendulem and weights.Can anyone post a pic. so I can try to find the correct replacements.I have also noticed that the marking on the rear of the movement may indicate that it may be a Urgos (german made).Thanks!
In My Family For Years
by: Paul McNeil

I also have this clock. It was in my family home for years. I remember the gongs going funny so we unhooked the weight but it kept time perfectly. I recently inherited into my home, cleaned it up, and corrected the gong with a minor adjustment. I've always wondered what the four holes were for, thanks for the posts which explained it.

The gongs are gorgeous and yes, the ticking really carries. I love this clock. There is a date stamped in the works which, if other posts are correct, mean that my clock was built around 1953.
new england clock
by: Gretta

Hey,
We too, have this clock and love it. A friend gave it to me approx. 14 years ago. At that time it had fallen and the weights had messed it up internally. We had it repaired and the back reinforced. The chimes have since quit working. I would like to know if anyone can tell me the value of this clock.
Thanks For The Info!
by: Mark

I want to thank everyone who has posted a comment. I invite anyone who has a story about this clock to please post a comment. I truly love it. It is a wonderful clock to own.

I now own the cuckoo clock as well which looks similiar but a little smaller. Thank you again. Mark
New England Clock Co
by: Anonymous

I bought this very same style clock back in the 1980's as an anniversary present for my wife.I think I spent around $150.00 for it back then. To this day this clock is still keeping accurate time and chimes on the half and full hour. I had the clock serviced once in Staten Island NY and the repairman told me it had a German movement.I recently saw another on ebay but it was in sad shape, chime didn't work and the pendulum was missing the back half. It is a fine piece of workmanship and since the company went bankrupt around 1999 or so, it is destined to be a valuable collectable clock.
I also owned that New England Clock.
by: Bill

I was given this clock in the early 1970's (it was a new clock at that time) as an aniversary gift from my parents. I still remember the artificial ivy that was in the flower box on the front.

I have since learned that The New England Clock Company was started in 1959 by William K. Sessions. Does that name sound familiar to you? The Sessions Clock Company was a maker of clocks in Forestville, Ct. since about 1903. Even before that the company was called the E. N. Welch Clock Company.

So you can see that the New England Clock Company boasts a very long history of clockmaking. This is not to say that they were the same company as Sessions. I understand that around 1956, when William K Sessions (the grandson of the founder William E Sessions) was still working for the Sessions company, it was absorbed by another company and clock production was down to almost nothing. W K Sessions was unhappy with the new owners direction of the old Sessions company, so he started The New England Clock Company a few years later.

This is a great clock
by: Mike - Texas

This clock was in my family's house for pretty much all of my life. It use to lull me to sleep as a child. It has a great tempo really that travels in a quiet home. It's also has a wondeful chime, very deep and rich.

I'm in the middle of repairing this clock. If you have the same one, be sure to check and reenforce the mounting hole, as they do wear out after 40 years or so. Ours gave out and the clock fell from the wall, forcing the weights up into the movement. A real mess. I've rebuilt the bridge, and it's looking great again.

I believe it's Hermle movement, though I'm trying to confirm. If anyone knows, please post. Also - those 4 holes mentioned were used to mount little artifical flowers and ivy. It's supposed to be a little window box on the front.

Thanks for the great post!

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