R L Fryatt FBHI Clock & Barometer Repairer
	Clock & Barometer repair service by Fellow of the British Horological Institute, together with some basic tips on how to take care of your antique clocks and barometers.
Atmos		Zaandam

I 've put these simple pages together to tell you something about myself and the service I offer.

Contact details-

It is possible to email me but I have had to remove the mailto link because of the volume of spam I was getting. As you know the website address, if  use my name rod you should be able to work it out.

About me.
I was born in 1949 and have lived at my present Lowestoft address since 1976. I first became interested in clocks in my primary school days but did not start to study the subject properly until about 1970. Since then I have studied with the British Horological Institute and gained a "Pass with Merit" in the final exams in 1982. In 1993 I was elected Fellow of that Institute. I gave up my career in marine radar to become a full-time clock repairer in 1987.

About my work.

I repair most types of mechanical and some electric clocks, as well as domestic barometers, both aneroid and mercury. I rarely use the word "restoration" as it has become associated with the word "over". Most of my work is best described as cleaning and overhauling and inevitably undoing years of botching and abuse. If your clock is not readily portable or you are unable to travel, I can visit you but I always maintain that anyone can sit in a traffic jamb but not everyone can repair your clock. That is why I will always ask you to bring it to me if possible.

Advice and estimates are free. However due to increasing costs I now make a minimum charge of £30 for home visits. If the visit results in a booking for an overhaul, that fee is considered a deposit and deducted from the final bill.

Most of my work consists of major overhauls to elderly or antique clocks. For this type of work there is always a waiting list, currently only about a month. I make no apology for this; the way I repair clocks takes time and there is a limit to the amount of work that one man can do in a day. People who love and value their old clocks are not prepared to see them damaged for the sake of a prompt "fix". See my Chamber of Horrors page for examples.

Of course some smaller jobs can always be fitted in between the larger ones, this includes such work as setting up a clock in a customers' new home, minor repairs in the home, or servicing requiring only an hour or two.

Unlike some in this business, I do not claim or try to do everything myself. Major refurbishment of a clock can involve the work of a cabinetmaker, gilder, watchmaker, dial painter, glass beveller and polisher, brass founders, hand piercers, bell founders etc. for all this work I employ specialists in their field and do not try to get by on my own. It may cost a little more but is worth it in the end.

What do you get for your money?

You will get a clock or barometer working as well as when it was new. Repaired to the British Horological Institute code of practice and conservation guide. A year-long guarantee, except for English longcase clocks, which I am happy to guarantee for three years. You get a typed report of all the work carried out for future reference, together with any old parts that have had to be replaced. For more unusual or specialist jobs, photos of repairs in progress before and after are often provided. If it is the work of an old English maker, a copy of any known details about the maker will be supplied.

Specialities that I am known for.

Over the years I have gained a reputation for undertaking work that others are unwilling to. Below is a list of the sort of work that I regularly undertake that you may have been told elsewhere cannot be done, or is not worth doing.

Anniversary, or 400 day clocks. These can and should be repaired. There is no reason why they cannot perform as well as when new. Indeed in the case of the early 20th C. ones, they are likely to perform better than new because of the superior suspension alloys now available.

Atmos Clocks. Parts are not readily available for these, but they are rarely needed. Normally the only service required is cleaning.

Carriage clocks with damaged platform escapements. Many people still consider it legitimate to replace these with new units. Do not let this happen! It spoils the clock for ever. I employ a skilled watchmaker to repair the original platform but it will cost more.

Cuckoo clocks. I like old cuckoo clocks, yes they definitely are worth repairing. The problem is with the modern ones. They are now very poorly made and the cost of repair can equal the cost of a new clock. Where do I draw the line? As a general rule a stained and polished cuckoo clock will usually be an old one. When they started painting them in bright colours their merit becomes questionable.

Date and Moon Work. Many old clocks feature a simple date, and often moon phase indicator. Most of them don't work, even after a so-called restoration. The dealer or repairman who tells you these were never meant to work is really saying "I cannot be bothered or am unable to repair this part of the clock". True there are some old clocks where the datework was never finished to work, but these are the exception rather than the rule. If your clock has a moon dial you can set it here.

Barometers. I repair the movements of aneroid barometers and have a chamber for testing and calibrating them. Something a suprising number of "repairers" do without. I service and repair mercury wheel and stick barometers, I can get custom-made tubes for thermometers as well as the barometer main tubes. Please ignore the advice of many, and never carry a mercury barometer upright. The correct way is to slowly tilt it over till it is about 30 degrees from the horizontal, then transport it in that attitude. The new EU rules do not affect antique barometers and there is no reason why they cannot be repaired.

Exposing Fakes and Fraudsters. On several notable occasions I have provided written and photographic evidence to assist clients' obtain redress when they have been tricked out of money for faked up "antiques", or sub-standard or non-existent repair work.

What I don't do!

Watches. Sorry but watch repair is a different craft altogether, it requires skills that I do not have. Conversely, do not expect a watchmaker to be skilled in clock repair.

Buying and selling. I'm well aware that some dealers see a repair service as a means of acquiring stock to sell . I consider it an abuse of trust to try to buy customers' clocks. If you have an antique clock or barometer for sale, I am definitely not interested in buying it. What I can do though is give some advice on value and how to avoid being taken advantage of.

Valuations. People often ask me to value old clocks. I'm happy to give an opinion, but it is only that. I must stress that I am not an antiques dealer. If you need a proper valuation for probate or insurance purposes it is best to consult an established quality antiques dealer or auctioneer and expect to pay a fee.

New cuckoo clocks with nasty little men that go round and round while music plays. There should be a society for the suppression of these. Throw it away and buy a proper clock!

Korean Wall Clocks. I like to see them bounce twice before they reach my gate!

Boot & Shoe Repairs. (It may not be generally known outside of the UK that it has become fashionable in this country for cobblers to take in watch & clock repairs.)

Pigeon clocks.

Car Clocks.

These pages were composed for free, using Frontpage Express, by a member of the League Against Complex Gimmicky Web Sites.