Frequently Asked Questions

No

This company was set up just to repair carriage clocks.

Not only are we passionate about carriage clocks, by design, carriage clocks are one of the few clocks that don’t require setting up when repaired, which is why we can repair them and post them out to you.

If you have a clock that isn't a carriage clock but doesn't have a pendulum fitted then we are happy to help with these.

Clocks with a pendulum will require setting up when moved which makes there repair difficult to offer on a nationwide scale like this.

If you have a clock other than a carriage clock that you would like repairing please contact use via the contact form here to discuss.

No.

We are able to repair any carriage clock irrespective of age.

Some modern clocks aren’t as well made as the antique ones and we may advise you that certain repairs cant be carried out.

This is a hard question to answer and something a lot of customers aren’t sure of.

The important thing is that it doesn’t matter if you fill out the wrong type of clock in the booking form. One of us here will inspect and advise you of the clock and the price to repair before any work is undertaken, even if that means informing you the repair is cheaper than you were originally told.

We are here to help customers not take advantage of them not knowing as much as we do.

If you fill out the booking form incorrectly and we provide a revised quote and you choose to not go ahead with the work, we do charge £35 plus P&P back to you at our discretion.

If you email us some photos we can advise on the clock as best as we can.

This depends on the repairs necessary.

As a rough guide:

A service will take 6-8 weeks

If mechanical repairs are needed then the time frame can extend to 3-4 months

We will provide an estimated completion date upon receipt of the clock.

The guarantee covers the workmanship of any repairs we carry out.

We make ever effort to return your clock in as high quality condition as possible.

Its important to note cosmetic repairs, time keeping, springs (both mainspring and click springs), accidental damage and misuse are not guaranteed.

The timekeeping of your clock will vary for a number of reasons, both internal (how the clock was made) and external (weather and location).

We test all clocks for at least two weeks in which time we regulate the clock. The majority of clocks leave the workshop keeping time to within 2 minutes a week.

The final regulation is up to the client when the clock is set up elsewhere.

Not every clock will achieve an accuracy that we would now come to expect, especially in the case of very early clocks.

If we believe timekeeping will not perform within the 2 minutes a week we will notify you of this when raising the estimate with you.

We have insurance that protects them to the value of the repair work, (e.g. the repair work has come to £250, the clock is insured for £250). This is the only way we can do this as without knowing exactly what's coming in its hard to get realistic insurance quotes, and its a fine balance between protecting our clients belongings while in our care, and over paying on premiums and having to pass these costs onto the clients.

Our insurance does not cover customers clocks while in transit to us. It is up to the client to insure the clock when they post it.

We use Royal Mail to return clocks to customers and again will insure the clock with them for the value of the repair.

If you believe the clock is worth more than the cost of the repair work we suggest you take out insurance yourself to cover it while its in our care. Many home contents insurance already covers your items while they are off with repairers to be repaired, and you should make sure you notify them as needed.

If you would like to have the clock insured for above the value of repair while its in transit back to you, please notify us of the level of cover and we will insure it where we are able to. We can usually insure for up to £10,000 while in transit.

We’re afraid not.

We do not have customer facing facilities and as this is a workshop with industrial machinery we are not open to members of the public.

We are also protective of our clients belongings which they have entrusted us to care for.

Its for this reason our address is not listed on our website and why you will not find us on Google Maps.

We are based in Cornwall.

We do not share are precise location publicly as we have a duty to protect and look after our clients valuables.

Once a repair has been booked in we will provide details of the address you can post the clock to.

Please see here for details on how we recommend you package your clock.

We can send out packaging to you if required.

When sending the clock to us-

We recommend you post your clock with Royal Mail.

Our building is secure and there is always someone who can receive your item during working hours.

Royal Mail know not to deliver to us on the weekend and the item will not be left in a safe place.

It may be that the delivery is ‘attempted’ just to fulfil obligations about delivery deadlines (i.e. if you send 24 hours) but delivery will be re-attempted on the next working day.

Despite this we suggest writing in clear letters on the box “No Safe Place” or use a signed for delivery service.

When we return the clock to you-

We will send the clock back via Royal Mail, with insurance as discussed above.

The box will clearly be marked not to leave in a safe place or with a neighbour.

If you would like to receive the clock on a specific day please let us know and we will accommodate you where we can.

We don’t have a publicly listed number as due to the nature of our work we usually have our hands full so cant answer anyway.

Please email us or use the contact form to send us a message, we will then reply when we’re not doing something delicate.

This could be for a number of reasons.

We aim to reply to ever email within one working day but during busy periods we may struggle to keep up so please allow us some time to reply.

If you haven’t heard from us please check your spam folder before messaging us again.

It may also be that we are trying to work with outside specialists to try and handle your request, or find a source for parts so we can provide you with an estimate.

In this case we will try and email you to let you know we have received your email but are just waiting to hear back from an outside specialist or material houses.

No customer has actually asked us this, but its worth saying here that we use a range of parts, both old and new.

We work with a number of material houses to purchase parts that may be suitable for your clock.

We can make many parts ourselves if ‘off the shelf’ parts cant be sourced.

We also stock a selection of antique clock parts which we can use where appropriate.

Where we source our replacement parts from is at our discretion and the decision will depend on what is best for your clock.

In the very unlikely event a new replacement part cant be sourced or made, and an old part is not suitable we will decline the work and return the clock to you.

We are unable to advise you on the value of the clock without seeing it in person and we also do not offer valuations as a service.

If you are unsure whether the clock is worth repairing it may be worth trying to find similar examples for sale online.

Some of the clocks we get in are probably worth under the price to repair, but the client has chosen to have the clock repaired regardless as the clock is sentimental or they simply like the clock and want to see it working.

Remember a clock sold at auction in 'as found' condition is likely going to need some work to get it running properly.

Send us a message here and we will get back to you.