M. C. Taylor Services

Clock Restoration

This is our main business and we pride ourselves in offering the highest possible quality of clock restoration service in a friendly and efficient manner. We have only our reputation of excellence to thank for our longstanding and, more importantly, happy, large client base.

Our work is fully guaranteed, and whilst it is on the premises you can be assured that your clock is secure.

We have the experience and expertise to restore every kind of antique and mechanical timepiece from the simplest to the most complex. Our service is always focused on bringing your cherished item back to life and to the condition you require. There is a great difference between repairing a clock properly and simply 'getting it going'. We take the time to fully understand what you would like from us and then use our skills as craftsmen to achieve it. We are fully conversant with making and replacing missing or damaged parts in the appropriate style and material and if we can't fully guarantee our work we don't charge you a penny.

We work on virtually any type of mechanical clock whether it is old or modern, good quality or mass produced and our skills are varied. Also, because we are Clockmakers, we can actually make clocks.

Unhurried and uncompromising, we always provide our clients with the most courteous standards of service and because we strictly adhere to our price agreed with you there are never any hidden costs.

With our personal collection, delivery and setting-up service we are able to cover a large area so don't be disappointed if you don't live in Bournemouth - it's your clock that is important, not the distance.

If you have a clock or barometer that is in need of restoration, repair or valuing then please contact us today for a free no-obligation estimate.

The bracket clock movement below is over a hundred years old and shows what can be achieved with restoration - this is our typical standard of work.

Antique and vintage Barometer Restoration and repair.

As the area's only Barometer Specialists we offer a complete repair and restoration service for all mechanical (Aneroid) and mercurial barometers in our separate designated workshop.

We offer a complete Barometer and Barograph repair and restoration service including pressure testing and calibrating.

We cover all aspects of repair and restoration of mercury stick and wheel barometers, including replacement of mercury siphon tubes and mercury. We also carry out all work to aneroid barometers including bevelling and fitting new bezel glass and replace or reseal ruptured capsules etc.

Some of the photographs on the right show a typical Aneroid movement before and after restoration. It was completely dismantled, cleaned of corrosion and dirt, pivots polished in the lathe the ruptured capsule repaired and then assembled, lubricated and calibrated.

We replace broken glasses and refit the centre hand, repair and restore brass and wooden cases, re-wax, re-silver and repaint dials and scales, refill storm tubes and fit wild oat beards to hygrometers in fact, we can do almost anything - a barometer is rarely unrestorable and, as also being Clockmakers, we can overhaul and repair the clock movements to barographs.

Restoring a barometer can greatly enhance its value because of the lack of craftsmen that can carry out the work. It also improves its appearance and many barometers are beautiful objects also, because we are a nation of 'Weather Watchers' barometers give us an instant and simple indication of what the imminent weather is likely to be.

If you have a Barometer or Barograph that is need of repair, restoration or Valuing for insurance or probate then please contact us for a no-obligation estimate. If you have a spillage or are concerned about transportation then please ask us for advice.

Gilding & Horological Metalwork

Gilding & Horological Metalwork from M.C. Taylor is renowned for its craftsmanship. We offer a highly skilled range of traditional services covering every aspect of horological metal work.

Gilding is carried out to most types of metal using pure gold to give the most authentic and aesthetically accurate finish. We specialise in the re-gilding of carriage clocks and finials either polished or matt and even the most worn pieces can be sympathetically restored to their former glory. We also apply 24k gold leaf to metal clock cases and wooden surfaces, this allows us to 'patch' the gilding on spelter cases and we always use double thickness leaf. There is an example on the right of a gilt-wood base that we made from scratch to match the customer's French mantel clock and dome.

We are also fully skilled in the application of silver plating and multi coloured finishes; black (oxidised silver), bronze, gold copper and silver, we can bring your clock, timepiece or Barometer back to life restoring its splendor. Virtually anything can be done to achieve the desired effect for the age and period of the piece without any hint of recent modern workmanship

Additionally we are skilled in manufacturing castings and any additional missing parts which extends to engravings, chasing and repouse work. We also undertake skilled inlay work in mother of pearl, Boulle and Tortoiseshell to name just a few.

Our gilder and silversmith has over 30 years of knowledge and experience in the most ornate of clock, timepiece and barometer gilding and metalwork. We are extremely proud of our ability to offer you a service that is second to none.

If you have a clock, timepiece or barometer that is need of gilding, restoration or Valuing for insurance or probate then please contact us today for a free no obligation estimate.

Case Restoration

Case restoration and Cabinet Making from M. C. Taylor is renowned throughout the UK for its sympathetic and accurate restoration and replication.

Sympathetic case restorations of the highest standards is our speciality. We go to exceptional lengths to ensure that a clock case never actually looks as if its just been restored. We also ensure that it does not lose the rich patination acquired with age, something which can never be effectively replicated. We are able to restore all types of wooden clock cases to exacting standards. Whenever possible, we will use material as old as the piece that we are working on to enable us to match colour, grain, finish and patina. Our French polishing is carried out traditionally and we never spray it on.

Probably our most noted specialised work is the restoration of Lacquer work otherwise known as Japanning and Chinoisserie. The pictures on the right show a very neglected Georgian longcase clock before and after restoration. You will see that the built up poly-chrome work is exactly as it was originally and this particular clock case took our team a whole month of meticulous work to complete. Original methods were used and the work was finally aged to also look original. We are one of the few remaining people in the UK that can carry out such work to the required exacting standard.

If you have a Clock, Timepiece or Barometer that is need of Case Restoration or Valuing for insurance or probate then please contact us today for a free no obligation estimate.

Other images on the right are of a Georgian barometer before and after restoration. The veneer on the lower portion was completely missing so we had to carefully select and old piece from stock and match the grain, flow and colour etc. before laying and polishing. The top was incorrect and the horns were missing, we made this from scratch. All other missing parts were sourced and we then fully restored the remaining parts, dials, bezels etc.

The lower pictures show a pine mantel clock before and after restoration, it was repaired, the curdled old finish removed and re-French polished by us at our Bournemouth workshops.

Never throw a clock case away - it can usually always be restored no matter how bad it is.

Dial Restoration

We restore and repair brass, painted and glass dials traditionally, sympathetically and we can usually give an estimate of cost from clear photographs.

Dial work from M. C. Taylor is renowned for its bespoke and traditional restoration and replication.

We offer a complete restoration service for brass, painted, porcelain and enamel dials. Our work is of the highest standard and examples of our restored work can be found in several important collections.

Clock dial restoration has been a specialty of ours since 1989. At our workshops in Bournemouth we use traditional techniques to achieve the highest quality painted, brass and engraved dial restoration.

Before we commence any work on a Clock or Barometer Dial, each dial is carefully cleaned and examined in different light sources to capture and record the maximum amount of detail.

The dial is then meticulously worked back up to a crisp finish, using original materials where appropriate, adding nothing more than is necessary.

Painted dial restoration is carried out with processes from simple cleaning and reapplying black numerals to reapplying metallic paint to Victorian Scottish dials that has to be mixed by us to our own recipe immediately prior to application.

Brass dial restoration includes the refilling of engraving with traditional hard wax and shallow engraving can also be deepened. Silvering and lacquering is also carried out on an almost daily basis here at the Clockshop and we have perfected the method of re-silvering without 'gramophone record' lines which nobody else seems to be able to do (this is an unsightly circular grain around the surface of chapter rings caused by using abrasives to either clean or remove over spill from waxing). Our chapter ring silvering gives a 'sugary' white surface without a grain, this does not give the appearance of steel which spoils the look especially on early or important clocks.

If you have a Clock, Timepiece or Barometer that is need of Dial Restoration or Valuing for insurance or probate then please contact us today for a free no obligation estimate.

who buys clocks, how do I sell my clock, clock buyers.

Have you a mechanical clock to sell?

We offer a comprehensive buying service that benefits you because you receive immediate payment and do not have to pay expensive auction fees.

As a guarantee of our transparency we welcome you to seek an auction house estimate for your item and we will then try to either match it or in some cases, better it. We can also do this by visiting your home if it is more convenient than you calling into our premises. Not only is payment from us quick but you will save up to almost 30% on auction house fees and we offer firm prices rather than estimates that may have to be reduced to eventually sell your items. Our representative also covers most areas so don't worry if you are not local to Bournemouth.

We are primarily always seeking good examples of 17th and 18th century clocks whether working or not. We will however, consider any mechanical clock, parts or tools - whatever the condition.

Feel free to contact us with your details by either phone or email and we will get back to you. A home visit by our experienced purchaser is a free, no-obligation service and all business will be conducted at your pace. Why give auction houses nearly a third of the money for your item?

Valuations

If you have a clock, timepiece or barometer that you wish to know more about, whether you wish to verify the age, authenticity, rarity or value, or if you would like to discover what is known of the maker, this is a CHARGEABLE service we offer.

We can value your item for you, including carrying out an identification of its age, the maker's known working dates and an appraisal of the clock's authenticity, its insured value or its selling value.

Clock, timepiece or barometer valuations can be obtained from M. C. Taylor. There are two different ways of obtaining your valuation either CLICK HERE for our unique 'e-val' online or bring your item to our shop.

We offer accurate valuations because we specialise in the field rather than the broader antiques market, we constantly monitor the market and are fully aware of aspects such as rarity, quality, special features and can easily recognise certain things that may not be apparent to you.

Conservation

Not only do we repair and restore clocks and barometers but when required, we also carry out Conservation work and advise on Horological Conservation.

Simply put, conservation is preservation, keeping the item in it's present condition, ensuring that further damage, wear or degrading doesn't occur. In the case of clocks, unlike other art, it is still usually required for the item to function mechanically. With this in mind, usually only wear and corrosion are removed from the contacting surfaces. The remaining surfaces are usually cleaned of all chemicals, dust, grease and other foreign matter that may have a detrimental effect and then left in a stable condition, sometimes coated for protection. Also, any new parts that are made are either marked or noted and the original, whatever the condition, is kept and logged. A detailed record of all work and maintenance is kept as reference.

We are fully conversant with the guidelines and codes of ethics laid down by bodies such as The British Horological Institute and The Council For The Care of Church Clocks etc. and these are followed as closely as possible. We understand the importance of maintaining original looks and appearance gained through age also, the value sometimes attached to rarity and originality.

At M. C. Taylor we specialise in making replacement parts not only to the original specifications but also whenever possible, from antique or original stock. This not only gives the correct appearance but ensures that the parts behave with each other in the correct way e.g. a part made from a modern material may be much harder than the original and therefore wear the clock unnecessarily.

We have carried out work for the National Trust, the Ministry of Defence, Churches and many important collections. We are confident that we can always meet any specialised needs of our clients.

If you would like to discuss Conservation with us then please get in touch as we are more than happy talk about the options available.

Wheel & Pinion Cutting

We cut our own wheels for Clocks that we fully restore.

Wheels and pinions are carefully cut to match the period of the clock, the material and the style of existing wheels. Please note that we do not supply wheels or pinions as a separate item and that these are only made for clients' Clocks that we restore ourselves.

If you have a Clock, Timepiece or Barometer that is need of Wheel & Pinion Restoration or Valuing for insurance or probate then please contact us today for a free no obligation estimate.

Wheelcutting movie