- Woodworking has been part of my family tree for hundreds of years.
I have even had the privilege to inherit tools from my grandfather. I am not sure who he got them from. It would be interesting if they came from the most famous woodworker in our family.
Simon Willard the Clock maker 1753-1848.
He was commissioned with building clocks for the White House, Harvard, and the University of Virginia. He was also friends with Thomas Jefferson.
- Nowadays, Simon Willard’s clocks are recognized as American masterpieces. As such, they are avidly sought by both antiquarians and museums. In perfect condition, a Simon Willard’s clock is usually sold from $50,000 up to $250,000!
Check out the wikipedia page for Simon Willard.
He is most famous for his banjo style clock. Besides the one that hangs in my dining room, I have only seen 1 , and it was being repaired at a clock shop.
I have had to do touch up repair to many different clock styles. The one I come across the most with damage is the grandfather clocks. They are heavier, and they seem to get dinged up when they are moved. I have not been trained in horology so I leave the mechanism damage to the clock repair pros.
I usually can handle any wood damage. This includes turnings, and carved pieces that are broken / missing.
The clock that I repaired today was a family heirloom. It may not be an expensive clock, but it meant a lot to the owner because it was given to her by her grandfather.
It was damaged right below the clock face. Right below the 5.
It was gouged so I had to do a burn in repair, and then mix and match the color. I then had to make sure the patina / sheen did not change. As always I will look for minor damage and touch it up also so that everything looks good.
The customer was satisfied, and was relieved that her heirloom clock was not completely ruined!
Zeke Willard