Fixing Old Clocks

I gave my husband, John Plocher, a 1915 Gilbert Observatory Regulator Western
Pacific Railroad advertising wall clock for his birthday last month; it has
inspired him to fix two of our other clocks. The first is a family clock
which John’s parents gave us for our wedding. It was made by Junghans and
was bought in Holzhauzen, Germany, originally a wedding gift on 16 July 1930
from his Great-Grandparents Johannes and Anna Plocher to their son Karl and his
new wife Adelia Martin Plocher (John’s Grandparents). The second clock has an arts
and crafts style cabinet that John’s youngest brother Marty made then gave us
for Christmas some years ago.

The Western Pacific advertiser clock is working well so long as it is wound
weekly. The regulator stops occasionally but keeps good time. The German
clock has a pleasant chime but refuses to keep time or
sound when it should. John is still tinkering with it. Marty’s clock keeps
good time but the regulator sometimes stops. (Since it uses a battery,
the regulator is just for show.) We think John has it fixed now.

John’s new clock

1930 German Clock

Inside German Clock

Marty’s Clock

John at work

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson