Adjusting the time (clocks go back) on a chiming clock

[NY]

For a typical clockwork chiming clock that chimes the quarters as well as the hour, when putting the clock back in the autumn, is it actually necessary to advance the clock every quarter of an hour, and wait for that to chime before advancing another quarter hour? Will the mechanism be confused/damaged if the time is advanced past successive quarter-hours without waiting for it to chime at each one?

I know that the clock must always be advanced *forwards* and never backwards past a chiming point (eg if the time shown is 12:10, don't wind backwards past 12:00).

For anyone who suggests stopping the clock for an hour... sadly one of our three chiming clocks has a balance-wheel escapement, totally enclosed in a plastic shield, so there is no way of stopping the balance wheel at its neutral point to stop the clock. I've waited a week for the damn thing to run down its mainspring, and still it's going, so I've bitten the bullet and wound it forward 11 hours (waiting at each quarter) to simulate putting it back by an hour.

Our other clocks are easy because you can stop the pendulum for an hour.

[Andy Burns]

There's enough articles out there saying it is necessary to do it that way ...

The

seem to invite questions by email

[charles]

I was taught to do that and with relevant clock being about 120 years old, I'm not inclined to try something else. It was a retirement present to my great grandfather.

[Jonathan]

Just turn it back ten minutes, wait until it has struck and then do it again and so on.

Jonathan

[charles]

It's easier to stop the pendulum. Your way would take a long, long timem How many 10 minutes in 12 hours (720 minutes + ? hours

[nib]

Surely for going forwards it's easy to push the hands forwards an hour, waiting after each operation of the 1/4-hour chime to let it complete; and for going backwards you just have to push the hands backwards by say

10 minutes, between the chime trigger points, six times over one hour?

nib

[fred]

I never knew the necessity of doing this and after a number of years the clock stopped and the repairer set me right. Now I set the alarm on my phone for about 10 minutes after the time the clock has stopped and just wind the clock and re set it. when the alarm goes.

[me9]

You only need to turn it back 10 mins 6 times.

[Tim Streater]

Our chiming wall clock has the facility to turn off the chimes. I wonder if that means one can, in the Spring, wind it forward the hour without stopping every 15 mins.

[NY]

No, I said that the clock has a balance wheel escapement and that the wheel is inaccessible because it's wholly enclose in a plastic case. So the escapement can't be stopped (equivalent to stopping a pendulum) on this clock. That clock is a PITA compared with the other two which have easily stopped pendulums.

Winding back 10 mins keeps the clock effectively between (for example)

12:00 and 12:15 for an hour. I'm only turning back by an hour. I did wonder about doing it, using Alexa to remind me every ten minutes to wind the time back.

[SteveW]

Both of our chiming wall clocks sound the wrong chime if wound forward an hour (or 11 hours), but revert to the correct chime next go.

[Dave W]

I can't believe the balance wheel can't be stopped. Although it's in a case it must be connected to the rest of the gears outside - why not put a bit of paper between the cogs outside? Or bore a tiny hole in the case to insert a wire to contact the wheel. Maybe a strong magnet could stop it, although this is unlikely if there's no steel inside.