Arkwright Repairshop

31/10/2026

Ey up! Apart from restoring vintage cars and clocks… I’m also restoring a 1950 Bluebird caravan! Im hoping to have finished by the spring.. 👍

29/10/2026

Ey up! I’m always fascinated about the “graffiti” you find on the back of dials… you can imagine the clockmaker back in 1766 on a normal English day sat by candle light with no electricity, gas or complicated engraving machines contemplating the job ahead.. no railways.. no canals and no sophisticated road networks to worry about. he has one job to do and he only had one chance at getting it right! No second chance.. so he decides to have a practice first! He writes the year.. 1766.. a few letters he knows he will struggle with and then has a go at numerals, he finishes the practice with the words “A HORSE”. He probably forgot about this little practice session and got on with the rest of his life not realising that this brief activity would last 260 years! It’s amazing what marks we leave behind on our travels. Enjoy! 🤓

27/10/2026

Ey up! Thought I would just share a typical repair on a plane lever escapement platform.. this clock came in from a customer who had taken it to a repairer, a quick clean and over oiling didn’t solve it for some reason. 😂 I would say 90% of these non jewelled platforms that arrive on my desk always need a re-bush due the wear causing the lever to fall on the impulse face instead of the lock thus causing poor performance and intermittent running. No amount of oil will solve it… I know this is a run of the mill repair but thought it might be of interest to someone.. for information the pivot is 0.11mm and used the typical break off bouchon.. enjoy! 🤓

23/10/2026

Ey Up! Don’t forget to put the clocks back one hour this weekend! If you have been given an award winning pork pie by our lovely customer, Snowdens of Arden then the only way to move the clock Back is to eat a piece.! Purely for practical purposes only.. 😂 the Grand Sonnerie carriage clock had had a nasty run and the barrel had smashed teeth and the second arbor was snapped in half… the only solution was to hand make a new pair… but that’s for another post. Enjoy the weekend

22/10/2026

Ey up! It’s been a while since I posted so thought I better do a catch up… a nice straight forward repair on a Jeager LeCoultre skeleton clock.. the centre arbor had completely snapped due to rust so needed a new pivot making.. due to the size of the pivot needed I decided to make a cap that went over a turned down arbor instead of the usual drilled peg.. all around 0.29mm! A nice afternoon’s work 🤓

30/06/2026

Ey up! Fancy a game of “where the hell did that go”.. ? Imagine the scene, you are really concentrating on repairing a platform escapement when you pick up the pallet arbor with you slightly worn tweezers ( wasn’t looking! Just reached for the nearest pair 😳) and it decides to eject itself across the workshop…!! Everybody don’t move… Arkwright… we have a problem.. 😂 an hour later.. the workshop destroyed and systematically moved to one side we finally find it! Can you spot where it is on one of the photos..? Obviously not on my hand.. that shows the actual needle in the workshop haystack 😜

30/06/2026

Ey up… FOR SALE..with all the recent hot weather we have had to deal with this original 1970 Salvador Dali bronze of the smooth watch! It’s certainly melted!! Numbering 5 out of a total run of 8, this patinated rare bronze stands 45cm high and is for sale… fancy a limited edition rare Dali bronze? £2500

25/06/2026

Ey up! Wilf the Morris 10/4 wanted to come to work with me today… we will be closed from midday today for the weekend and re-open on Tuesday 30th

22/06/2026

Ey up! With the warm weather coming this week we may have to close the workshop early each day.. if you are thinking of popping over to see us, please give us a call first to check opening times etc.. this little automated dancing mice came in for a repair and a clean.! ☀️🌞🌞

09/06/2026