Kienzle Clock

[chris420sa]

My Kienzle clock was repaired fairly recently. However it gains about 30 minutes per day when the car is standing and I've adjusted it as much as possible (too much slower running adjustment causes it to stop). Interestingly, after driving the car, the clock keeps much better time but only for a while. Battery voltage across the battery terminals is a constant 12.6 volts.
Would much appreciate any advice in this regard.
Many thanks
Chris

[JagWaugh]

From a horological viewpoint that sounds like a problem with the balance staff pivots, or a sticking hairspring.

Too fast=short arcs, commonly caused by coils of the hairspring sticking to each other.

Runs normal when you shake it, fast if you don't= The balance wheel is moving about w.r.t. it's pivots, and doesn't get enough impulse from the mechanism.

Did you have it fixed locally?

[malcolm]

Voltage is another potential culprit maybe? With my 1.5 volt series 2 clock, it runs FAST when the battery voltage starts to DROP - sounds odd, but that's how it is. So maybe the voltage when it gets to your clock is too low? Have you checked it across the clock terminals?

[AussieEtype]

The Kienzle is a mechanical clock that is wound up electrically, so as long as the voltage is enough to wind it up the actual voltage (within reason) should not matter - lower voltage means it will just take longer to wind up - normally only takes a second or two.

[malcolm]

The Kienzle is a mechanical clock that is wound up electrically, so as long as the voltage is enough to wind it up the actual voltage (within reason) should not matter - lower voltage means it will just take longer to wind up - normally only takes a second or two.

Didn't know that - interesting!

[JagWaugh]

Voltage is another potential culprit maybe? With my 1.5 volt series 2 clock, it runs FAST when the battery voltage starts to DROP - sounds odd, but that's how it is. So maybe the voltage when it gets to your clock is too low? Have you checked it across the clock terminals?

This is the case for both pendulum and escape wheel timekeepers. The angle between releasing and trapping the escape wheel is always less than the full "swing", so when you reduce the force driving the escapement it spends less time left and right past the lock/unlock angle, so the clock runs faster.

The Keinzle is electrically wound (as opposed to electrically driven either at the escapement or at the top of the gear train) so unless something is amiss with the mainspring the force applied to the geartrain stays more or less constant.

[chris420sa]

Many thanks for the helpful responses.
Bit reluctant to try to open the clock and attempt a fix - is it easy or another Series 3 "experience"?
The clock was fixed by JDO Instruments of Keighley, West Yorkshire.
All the best
Chris