The Clock Restorer Who Reads Time Backwards

Jonathan Betts, former Senior Specialist in Horology at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, has spent his career working backwards through time by deconstructing mechanisms that once defined it. Dismantling a seventeenth-century longcase clock, he reads its history in reverse: later modifications reveal first, the original maker's work emerging last, like an archaeologist excavating downward.

A clock restorer's first task is diagnosis requiring understanding not just the mechanism before them but the entire lineage that preceded it. A verge escapement behaves differently from an anchor escapement, which differs from a deadbeat. Each innovation improved accuracy but introduced specific failure modes the restorer must recognise.

The materials present unique challenges. Brass work-hardens over time and can become brittle at pivot points. Steel components rust if exposed to moisture. Lead-tin solder joints creep under sustained loads. Each failure tells a story about the clock's environment and care over its lifetime.

Restoration ethics mirror other conservation disciplines. The restorer preserves as much original material as possible, clearly marks new components, and documents work in detail. A wheel replaced in a previous century has become part of the clock's history and may be preserved even if not original.

The sound of a properly restored clock is diagnostic. The tick should be even and confident, with a consistent interval signalling correct escapement geometry. The strike should be clean and resonant. A restorer listens to a clock as a doctor listens to a heartbeat.

If you own an antique clock, resist the temptation to disassemble or lubricate it yourself. Seek a qualified horological conservator through the British Horological Institute, and expect the process to take months. The clock has waited this long; it can wait a little longer. Find specialists at https://www.bhi.co.uk