Your clock has stopped. No gentle ticking. No reassuring sweep of the hands. You pop in a fresh battery… and nothing happens. The hands stay frozen, the black box at the back stays silent. Now what?
The good news is this: a battery operated clock is often one of the easiest repairs you can do yourself. (For mechanical clocks, you may want to contact a professional.)
Most modern wall clocks run on a quartz mechanism, which sits in the small black box behind the face. When a new battery does not solve the problem, it is usually the mechanism itself that needs replacing.
To start disassembling, gently remove the clock hands by pulling straight up. They are typically held in place by a small pin or nut at the top of the spindle (sometimes the seconds hand comes off first or acts as the pin). Keep them aside, unless you want to replace these too. Once the hands are free, unscrew the nut securing the mechanism to the clock face or frame. With that done, the black box should come off easily, unless it has been glued or taped down.
Now you need to find a replacement for the quartz mechanism. This is where Dan’s Clock Shop comes in. Choosing the right mechanism depends on a few simple measurements: shaft length, thread length, diameter (to make sure it fits through the hole). Dan’s Clock Shop has a clear, helpful measurement page that shows exactly how to measure these. If you are unsure, you can always get in touch with them to find out which mechanism you need. Every mechanism can be ordered online for delivery in the post. To assembly, simply reverse the disassembly process. Dan’s Clock Shop also has assembly instructions for a whole range of clocks and a video guide.
Their busiest times? March and October, when the clocks change and people realise their clock has not been ticking at all. And beyond repairs, their parts fuel creativity too: holiday clubs, Scouts, and Brownies regularly order mechanisms to build clocks from scratch. One of the most unusual orders Dan’s Clock Shop ever received came from a wardrobe mistress for a Christmas pantomime. She needed clock hands for the Wicked Queen’s crown, and the result was as dramatic as you’d imagine.
That sense of play and experimentation is how Dan’s journey began. Looking for a hobby, he started making clocks from old vinyl records and CDs, but struggled to find the clock components. It seemed that they could only be bought in bulk – 500 at a time! Once he had a selection of clocks made, Dan and his wife Jen booked a stall at a local car boot sale and took some leftover spare parts along to sell. They sold quickly! Dan decided to list the spare parts on eBay, eventually running the business from the garden office. In 2023, the business moved to a warehouse in Mitcheldean.
