How Often Should You Service an Antique Clock?

One of the most common questions we're asked in the workshop is simply: how often does my clock actually need a service? For a mechanical, spring or weight-driven clock, the honest answer is every five to seven years — but the right interval for your clock depends on its movement, how much it's run, and how it's been cared for in the past.

Why clocks need regular servicing at all

A mechanical clock movement is a small, continuously running machine. Every tick relies on dozens of tiny metal pivots turning inside bushings, lubricated by a thin film of oil. Over years, that oil oxidises, dries and gathers fine metal dust from normal wear, turning from a lubricant into a mild abrasive. The movement doesn't stop suddenly when this happens — it wears gradually, and by the time a clock actually stops, pivots and bushings are often already more worn than they needed to be.

Regular servicing interrupts that cycle before it causes expensive wear. It's the same logic as changing the oil in a car: cheaper and gentler than waiting for something to fail.

Signs your clock needs attention sooner

• Timekeeping has become noticeably inaccurate, gaining or losing several minutes a week.
• The strike or chime is inconsistent — missing counts, striking at the wrong time, or sounding different to how it used to.
• The clock needs winding more often than it used to, or stops part-way through its running period.
• You can hear a change in the movement's sound — new ticking irregularities, grinding, or unusual resistance when winding.
• It has simply been more than seven years, or you don't know when it was last serviced.

What a professional service actually involves

A proper service is a full strip-down, not just an oiling over the top of old grime. The movement is completely dismantled, every part is ultrasonically cleaned, and pivots are inspected under magnification for wear before the movement is reassembled, set in beat, and oiled with the correct grade of clock oil for each wheel. We then bench test every clock for a minimum of two weeks before it goes home, to confirm it's keeping time, chiming and striking correctly.