Common Questions for Manufacturers
Movements Motors
Inserts Fitups
Assessories
Common Questions for Hobbyists
Do I need to use a second hand?
Most quarts movements have the ability to run a second hand. It is your choice to use one or not. If you feel the step second motion would be a distraction then don't use one. A special closed nut is available to cover the small hole showing when a second hand is not used.
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Should I use a pre-assembled “fit-up” or a quartz movement with separate hands and dial?
Using a pre-assembled quartz clock fit-up is the easiest way to make a clock. The clock movement, hands, dial, lens and Bezel are pre-assembled and ready to be installed. All you have to do is make a clock case with the correct size hole cut into it. Just set the time, put in a battery and press into the precut hole in your clock case.
To use a quartz movement requires a little more planning, but is still fairly easy to do. If you choose to do this you have the flexibility of being able to se a standard time only movement, a pendulum movement, a chime movement or a variety of other possibilities. You can also choose from dozens of clock dials and over 40 styles of clock hands. If you decide to use a quartz movement with separate hands and dial, it is much easier to create a design that is truly unique.
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Should I use a pre-assembled “fit-up” or a quartz movement with separate hands and dial?
Using a pre-assembled quartz clock fit-up is the easiest way to make a clock. The clock movement, hands, dial, lens and Bezel are pre-assembled and ready to be installed. All you have to do is make a clock case with the correct size hole cut into it. Just set the time, put in a battery and press into the precut hole in your clock case.
To use a quartz movement requires a little more planning, but is still fairly easy to do. If you choose to do this you have the flexibility of being able to se a standard time only movement, a pendulum movement, a chime movement or a variety of other possibilities. You can also choose from dozens of clock dials and over 40 styles of clock hands. If you decide to use a quartz movement with separate hands and dial, it is much easier to create a design that is truly unique.
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Do I need any special tools to install a quartz clock movement?
No, you do not. All you really need is a well lighted work area and a small pair of pliers.
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Do I need any special tools to install a quartz clock movement?
No, you do not. All you really need is a well lighted work area and a small pair of pliers.
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Can I replace a battery operated movement in a broken clock I have?
Yes you can, and it is not to difficult. The first step is to remove the old movement from your clock. Remove the clock hands first by gently pulling them off. Sometimes the minute hand is held in place by a cap nut. Just unscrew it and continue to remove the hands. The movement itself is normally held in place by a hex nut on the hand shaft, or it can "snap in" which means it is being held in place by little plastic "fingers". Either unscrew the hex nut to remove or just pry away from the case until snaps free.
The next step is to determine the size of the movement you have. The most important dimension is the shaft length. If your movement was held in place by a hex nut, then you need to measure the height of the threaded portion of the shaft that the hex nut was mounted to. This is referred to as the threaded shaft length.If your movement was a "snap in", then just measure the overall shaft length.
Now that you know the critical dimension of your movement, look in the movement section of our web site to find a movement that suits your needs and budget. Please remember that the old hands from your movement may not fit the new movement. Hour and minute hands are included free with movements, so pick out a pair when you order.
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Can I replace a battery operated movement in a broken clock I have?
Yes you can, and it is not to difficult. The first step is to remove the old movement from your clock. Remove the clock hands first by gently pulling them off. Sometimes the minute hand is held in place by a cap nut. Just unscrew it and continue to remove the hands. The movement itself is normally held in place by a hex nut on the hand shaft, or it can "snap in" which means it is being held in place by little plastic "fingers". Either unscrew the hex nut to remove or just pry away from the case until snaps free.
The next step is to determine the size of the movement you have. The most important dimension is the shaft length. If your movement was held in place by a hex nut, then you need to measure the height of the threaded portion of the shaft that the hex nut was mounted to. This is referred to as the threaded shaft length.If your movement was a "snap in", then just measure the overall shaft length.
Now that you know the critical dimension of your movement, look in the movement section of our web site to find a movement that suits your needs and budget. Please remember that the old hands from your movement may not fit the new movement. Hour and minute hands are included free with movements, so pick out a pair when you order.
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I need to replace or repair an electric “plug in” type of movement, can you help?
We do not sell electric movements or parts for their repair. Please contact Empire Clock Co. at their web site "www.empireclock.com".
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I need to replace or repair an electric “plug in” type of movement, can you help?
We do not sell electric movements or parts for their repair. Please contact Empire Clock Co. at their web site "www.empireclock.com".
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I need to replace or repair a mechanical weight or spring driven movement, can you help?
We do not sell mechanical movements or parts for their repair. Please contact Merritts at "www.merritts.com" or S. LaRose at "www.slarose.com".
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Common Questions for Manufacturers
What are the minimums required for custom clock dials?
We can run as few as 100 pcs. when making dials for fit-ups and 250 pcs. when making custom metal or styrene dials. Lead times can vary from two to four weeks depending on our schedule and the type of dial you want. Contact a ClockParts.com sales representative for additional information.
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Do you sell large quantities on a wholesale basis?
Yes, we do! We stock thousands of movements that are ready for immediate shipment. If you need 500 or 50,000 movements we can handle your needs.
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Are all fit-ups available for immediate delivery?
We offer the best selection of fit-ups in the industry today. While some of our fit-ups are stocked pre-assembled, ready to go, many others are made to order. Making many of our fit-ups to order allows us to offer thousands of possible models with a lead time of one to two weeks. We think that offering the possibilities we do is worth the wait and so do most of our customers. Just contact one of our sales representatives to find out what is in stock and current production lead times.
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What are the minimums required for custom clock dials?
We can run as few as 100 pcs. when making dials for fit-ups and 250 pcs. when making custom metal or styrene dials. Lead times can vary from two to four weeks depending on our schedule and the type of dial you want. Contact a ClockParts.com sales representative for additional information.
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Do you sell large quantities on a wholesale basis?
Yes, we do! We stock thousands of movements that are ready for immediate shipment. If you need 500 or 50,000 movements we can handle your needs.
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Are all fit-ups available for immediate delivery?
We offer the best selection of fit-ups in the industry today. While some of our fit-ups are stocked pre-assembled, ready to go, many others are made to order. Making many of our fit-ups to order allows us to offer thousands of possible models with a lead time of one to two weeks. We think that offering the possibilities we do is worth the wait and so do most of our customers. Just contact one of our sales representatives to find out what is in stock and current production lead times.
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Movements Motors
A neighbor asked I look at her jahresuhrenfabrik 49 400 day clock. the weight is disconnected from the mechanism. it has the slid with a rounded fork on the end. I removed the sleeve and can see a brass wire that is flush with the end of the tube. did this originally have a cross member that slipped into the weight?
I have no way to cross reference exactly what you have. We also only work with battery and electric movements so we are not qualified to advise you.
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I am looking for a 3 inch time piece that runs backwards. It needs to be very thin. I am attempting a project and as much as I look for this item, it seems difficult to find right size.
I would love to purchase a very thin Antique/ivory thin metal clock with hands that run backwards as well as Arabic numbers on backwards close to 3 inches or not much larger then 3 inches.
The size of our reverse movement is 2-3/16" square and 5/8" thick: https://www.clockparts.com/reverse-high-torque-barbershop-quartz-movement/
Our smallest reverse dial is 6". You could take it to a store like Staples and have it reduced to a smaller size and printed out on a heavy paper.
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I have an old Antsonia clock, around 1892. And one of the springs clicks when winding and won’t tighten up.
I’ve had enough of winding it anyway, but I still want it on my mantle piece, looking great, but working efficiently without having to wind it.
I was thinking of taking out the old movement, and storing it inside the clock in case I ever sell it, then I can take it back to original.
Then put an auto battery movement in behind the scenes so it is an beautiful, effective and efficient clock without the hassle.
I like the old hands and am keen to find a battery movement that will fit the original hands.
Also, it would be great if the battery movement can do Winchester chimes.
Do you know of such a movement?
Matching a movement to a pair of hands requires you to have calipers or a micrometer to make some very accurate measurements.
You have common spade style hands which can easily be replaced. Here are links to some chime movements:
https://www.clockparts.com/standard-chime-movement-with-built-in-speaker-no-pendulum/
https://www.clockparts.com/westminster-whittington-recordable-chime-non-pendulum/
You will need to check the length of the hand shaft. Let me know any questions.
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What size replacement kit should i purchase for my wall clock which is 38″x48″ long?
You need a high torque movement. Our high torque quartz movements are designed to operate up to an 18” minute hand.
You need to determine just how thick your clock face is so you can select the right hand shaft length. Here are a couple of links below to consider:
https://www.clockparts.com/high-torque-movement-aa-cell/
https://www.clockparts.com/high-torque-movement-c-cell/
Here’s a link to our selection of large clock hands:
https://www.clockparts.com/clock-hands-for-high-torque-movements-2/
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I make ceramic clocks and have bought your clock parts for several years. On your mini quarts pendulum clocks, is there a recommended weight (maximum/minimum) you need to use for the pendulum weight? I make my weights with small disks of clay….but thought I should ask the question to make sure the clocks operate efficiently
The maximum weight for these American made mini pendulum movements is 2-1/2 ounces.
The closer you get to the maximum the more important leveling is (or being vertically plumb).
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Will the PD200 work with MVTRC15NP, Our pendulum weighs 3.5oz and is 20″ long?
Yes, the PD200 will work with the MVTRC15NP, but we already sell these 2 parts together in the MVTRC13P below: https://www.clockparts.com/westminster-whittington-recordable-chime-with-pendulum/
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I have a question about the pendulum. I am replacing a movement with your battery version. the pendulum is 2 inches from the back of the dial. is 2 inches a problem?
Yes, potentially the pendulum swinging 2” behind the dial is a problem because most battery movements have a pendulum that swings 3/8” of an inch behind the clock face. In your case I would use a separate pendulum drive like the PD200 below:
https://www.clockparts.com/pd200-heavy-duty-pendulum-drive/
It has a 7 ounce maximum capacity. Can easily be used as a separate pendulum drive as I’m suggesting here.
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A mini quartz mvt- American. Question…on securing the minute hand, there are two nuts…one with a round head, the other normal shaped nut. Do you use both nuts somehow? or is the regular nut an extra?
Yes, there is an extra nut.
The open minute hand nut is for use with a second hand, and the closed minute hand nut is for use with no second hand.
https://www.clockparts.com/info/inst/miniMovements.jpg
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I am looking for a double A battery movement for a novelty alarm clock with mechanical bells on top. Here is the info on the movement CT678 CONTIN. It has a sweep second hand and a hand to set the alarm.
We stopped stocking alarm movements about 5 years ago. Unfortunately, control switch locations are not standardized at all, so finding replacements can really be difficult.
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A neighbor asked I look at her jahresuhrenfabrik 49 400 day clock. the weight is disconnected from the mechanism. it has the slid with a rounded fork on the end. I removed the sleeve and can see a brass wire that is flush with the end of the tube. did this originally have a cross member that slipped into the weight?
I have no way to cross reference exactly what you have. We also only work with battery and electric movements so we are not qualified to advise you.
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Inserts Fitups
We purchased a F108WAC 108 MM White arabic 4 1/4″ clock insert. The clock insert is just a little small and won’t stay in the clock frame. Do you have something we can use to fill the space?
Try taking the gasket off of the back of the insert clock. Wrap something like electrical or plumbers tape around the back of the insert. Then re-install the gasket.
Can be a bit of trial and error, but it normally works for small adjustments. Rubber bands can also work.
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I have an old wooden round mantel clock. I want to put an quartz insert into the opening. The hole diameter is 4 3/8″, the outside of the clock is 5 3/8″. Do you offer something to make this work?
https://www.clockparts.com/6-in-152mm-premium-quartz-clock-fit-ups/
These inserts are designed for a 3-1/8” mounting hole, so to properly fit you would need to make some type of adaptor ring:
https://www.clockparts.com/video/clock-insert-adapter-ring-for-your-clock-case/
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I need to replace the Takane clock that was mounted in my golf cart. The back snaps into the dash and is approx. 3 5/64ths in diameter. Can you help?
Please advise what the diameter of the mounting hole size is.
It’s smaller than the diameter of the front of the clock, but actually the most important measurement.
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Do you have a clock insert with a brushed gold or spun gold face with a mounting hole of about 2 1/8”, 2 ¼”, 2 3/8” ?
Our F59 series has a brushed gold roman or Arabic option.
https://www.clockparts.com/2-1-4-59mm-standard-fit-ups/
Overall size 2-1/4”, 2-1/8” mounting hole size.
Our F73 series has the same brushed gold dial options and is 2-3/4” overall and a 2-3/8” mounting hole:
https://www.clockparts.com/2-3-4-73mm-economy-quartz-clock-fit-ups-with-bevel-edge-bezel/
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We purchased a F108WAC 108 MM White arabic 4 1/4″ clock insert. The clock insert is just a little small and won’t stay in the clock frame. Do you have something we can use to fill the space?
Try taking the gasket off of the back of the insert clock. Wrap something like electrical or plumbers tape around the back of the insert. Then re-install the gasket.
Can be a bit of trial and error, but it normally works for small adjustments. Rubber bands can also work.
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I have an old wooden round mantel clock. I want to put an quartz insert into the opening. The hole diameter is 4 3/8″, the outside of the clock is 5 3/8″. Do you offer something to make this work?
https://www.clockparts.com/6-in-152mm-premium-quartz-clock-fit-ups/
These inserts are designed for a 3-1/8” mounting hole, so to properly fit you would need to make some type of adaptor ring:
https://www.clockparts.com/video/clock-insert-adapter-ring-for-your-clock-case/
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I need to replace the Takane clock that was mounted in my golf cart. The back snaps into the dash and is approx. 3 5/64ths in diameter. Can you help?
Please advise what the diameter of the mounting hole size is.
It’s smaller than the diameter of the front of the clock, but actually the most important measurement.
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Do you have a clock insert with a brushed gold or spun gold face with a mounting hole of about 2 1/8”, 2 ¼”, 2 3/8” ?
Our F59 series has a brushed gold roman or Arabic option.
https://www.clockparts.com/2-1-4-59mm-standard-fit-ups/
Overall size 2-1/4”, 2-1/8” mounting hole size.
Our F73 series has the same brushed gold dial options and is 2-3/4” overall and a 2-3/8” mounting hole:
https://www.clockparts.com/2-3-4-73mm-economy-quartz-clock-fit-ups-with-bevel-edge-bezel/
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Assessories
I have a grandfather clock with a lyre pendulum that is operated by itself. It looks like a pd200 but Im not sure that is exactly what it is. The pendulum attachment swings perfectly until I put the pendulum on it, then it works for a few minutes and then quits. What can I do to make it swing continuously? I wasnt sure if I needed to order the PD200
The PD200 will operate a pendulum up to 7 ounces, and the PHDPD will operate a pendulum up to 10 ounces.
Make sure you know the weight of your pendulum before ordering anything.
Being level or vertically plumb is very important for any pendulum drive. It’s important that the magnet and electro magnet on any pendulum drive also be as close as possible without touching.
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I recently had my grandfather clock converted to a quartz movement. The pendulum set is only 16in with a small pendulum bob. It is on a AA battery by itself. Will the 25 in rod and 3in bob operate on a single AA unit?
Our AA battery powered mini pendulum movements do not have enough power to operate a 25” pendulum.
You would need to use our PD200 to operate a pendulum of this size.
https://www.clockparts.com/pd200-heavy-duty-pendulum-drive/
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I have a grandfather clock with a lyre pendulum that is operated by itself. It looks like a pd200 but Im not sure that is exactly what it is. The pendulum attachment swings perfectly until I put the pendulum on it, then it works for a few minutes and then quits. What can I do to make it swing continuously? I wasnt sure if I needed to order the PD200
The PD200 will operate a pendulum up to 7 ounces, and the PHDPD will operate a pendulum up to 10 ounces.
Make sure you know the weight of your pendulum before ordering anything.
Being level or vertically plumb is very important for any pendulum drive. It’s important that the magnet and electro magnet on any pendulum drive also be as close as possible without touching.
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I recently had my grandfather clock converted to a quartz movement. The pendulum set is only 16in with a small pendulum bob. It is on a AA battery by itself. Will the 25 in rod and 3in bob operate on a single AA unit?
Our AA battery powered mini pendulum movements do not have enough power to operate a 25” pendulum.
You would need to use our PD200 to operate a pendulum of this size.
https://www.clockparts.com/pd200-heavy-duty-pendulum-drive/
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