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Information on Spring Regulator Clocks

In late eighteenth century Europe, the accuracy of timekeeping became important as craftsmen and tradesmen gravitated to the cities and began working by the hour for their wages instead of by the number of finished articles produced. Two Englishmen, Benjamin Vulliamy and James Harrison, invented the regulator clock between 1760 and 1780 to improve time-telling. The new clock was highly accurate, as each of the hands worked off its own mechanism.

Viennese Regulators
- Although invented in England, the regulator clock truly took hold in Vienna, Austria, where they began being used in train stations and other public places. The clocks were wound by a key which tightened the main spring. A pendulum below the clock face swung back and forth, gradually reducing the pressure on the spring, allowing the hands to move about the face. A separately wound spring controlled chimes that sounded the quarter, half and full hour.
New Uses
- Regulator clocks became a decorative home accessory.
  
  Regulator use expanded into France, Germany, Switzerland and finally the United States. Business regulators monitored factory workers, school regulators defined the academic day, finely tuned astronomical regulators provided precise scientific timekeeping and fashionable regulators began to appear in the homes of the burgeoning upper and middle classes. Each clockmaker had a distinct mark that identified the company and the date the clock was made.
Collecting Regulator Clocks
- A collector of regulator clocks may choose to concentrate on one class of clock or diversify among many. The clock-maker's mark is a good research tool in finding about the clock's history. Old regulators may have been inexpertly repaired and may require attention from an expert in clock restoration. Common problems encountered include cracked cases, worn face plates and intermittent or incorrect chiming. An old regulator should never be refinished or it will lose much of its value to a collector.
Adjusting For Proper Timekeeping
- In order to adjust a regulator clock that is gaining or losing time, it is necessary to adjust the pendulum. A small nut located under the pendulum disc or bob is turned to raise or lower the bob. The higher the pendulum bob, the faster the clock will run. Often only tiny adjustments are required due to differing humidity and/or temperature levels in the home or shop. One full turn of the regulating nut will affect a one-half minute change in time over 24 hours.
Clock Type and Care Instructions
- Wall clocks should always be moved with the pendulum off. An even ticking sound as the pendulum swings is an indication that the clock is working properly. Adjustment to the regulator nut while the clock is in place is essential to obtain the even beat indicative of a well working clock.
  
  Mantle regulators depend on a level surface for optimum operation. An even tic like a musician's metronome is the desired sound for proper operation. A small carpenter's level is useful in determining whether the clock is sitting evenly. Shimming should correct uneven placement.

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