How to Set Vintage Wind Up Clocks

In the days before electricity, clocks were powered by energy stored in springs in the clock's mechanism. This required clocks to be wound and set on a regular basis. The process is easy and straightforward.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• The clock's winding key.

1. 

   Is the clock running? If so, stop it by stopping the swinging pendulum.

2. 
   Winding Key

   Insert the winding key into the hole in the clock face. Turn the key clockwise. The number of turns will be determined by the tension as the key is turned. The increased tension can be felt with each turn of the key (it gets increasingly difficult to turn). DO NOT over wind the clock. Remove the key.

3. After the clock is wound, manually move the hands to the appropriate time. Move the minute hand (long hand) in the clockwise direction. The hour hand (short hand) will advance as the minute hand is moved in complete rotations. Do not attempt to move the hour hand directly. Rotate the minute hand until the correct hour is reached, then advance the hand to correct minute.

4. After the the clock is wound and the time has been set, start the clock by moving the pendulum to one side and let it go.