Clock Designs and Plans

CLOCK PLANS AND CLOCK DESIGNS FOR AMATEUR CLOCKMAKERS

Can’t decide which clock to make? Don’t know where to look for designs and plans for clocks? Well, now your search is over. This is a comprehensive list of readily available designs for clocks of many different types. There should be one here which is just what you’re looking for! Unfortunately I don't have access to any of these plans. If you need to find one you could try searching the net, or try BHI or perhaps the Model Engineer copying service. Or see the notes at the end of the table.

Clock	Author	Publication	Remarks
Making an 8 Day Longcase Clock	Alan Timmins	book (avail from BHI)	Full details for grandfather type clock. Available from Camden Books & BHI.
A Watchmakers Workshop Regulator	Alan Timmins	Horological Journal 1981	Very good description, easy to follow. Ball bearing arbors, adjustable pallets, 8 day dead-beat escapement.
An 8 Day Rack Strike Longcase Clock	A J Timmins	Engineering in Miniature, Dec 1979	Series.
30 Hour Tompion Clock	Alec Price	Engineering in Miniature, Nov 1994	Spring driven pendulum clock.
Synchronome Clock	C Blazdell	Model Engineer series started 5th April 1968	Construction series for simple and accurate electric pendulum clock.
Electric Clock	C R Jones	Model Engineer series started 26th Jan 1950	Electric pendulum clock based on the Hipp principle. See modifications by John Stevens in Model Engineer 21st Feb 1975.
Electric Clock	C R Jones	Model Engineer series started 29th May 1952	Half seconds pendulum clock based on the Hipp principle.
Making a Chiming Grandfather Clock	Claude Reeve	book	Available from BHI.
Regulator Clock with Gravity Escapement	Claude Reeve	Model Engineer series started 26th May 1960	A superb timekeeper with a one second pendulum and Grimthorpe's famous and fascinating movement. For experts only.
Musical Clock	Claude Reeve	book	A weight driven 8 day pendulum grandfather type clock with dead-beat escapement and chiming. Only for experts. (Plan G10 – Nexus Special Interests).
Regulator Clock	Claude Reeve	Model Engineer series started 18th July 1980	A weight driven 8 day regulator pendulum grandfather type clock. (Plan G7 – Nexus Special Interests). John wilding revisited this design in a series in Model Engineer in 2005 (volume 194, issue 4248).
Bracket Clock	Claude Reeve	Model Engineer series 1971	Spring and fusee striking and repeating bracket clock.
One year Clock	Claude Reeve	Reprinted in The Clockmaker Oct/Nov 1990	Reprint of articles first published in 1951
One year Clock	W Botton (Claude Reeve design)	Model Engineer series started 3rd Aug 1984	A weight driven pendulum grandfather type clock with dead-beat escapement designed to go for a year without winding. Only for experts. Construction series.
8 Day Skeleton Timepiece	Colin Thorne	Plan (avail from Lautard)	Going barrel, recoil escapement, bar frames. Simple and elegant design.
Benjamin Franklin’s Clock	Colin Thorne	plan (avail from Lautard)	30-hour version of Ben Franklin’s well known 3-wheel single-handed clock, weight driven pendulum.
Double Barrel Skeleton Clock	Colin Thorne	plan (avail from Lautard)	A sturdy little "double barrelled" skeleton clock design using twin going barrels
Double Fusee Skeleton Clock	Colin Thorne	plan (avail from Lautard)	Gothic architecture" style frame, back-striking, recoil escapement with maintaining power.
Fromanteel Clock	Colin Thorne	plan (avail from Lautard)	Based on a clock dated 1658. 8-day going barrel movement, verge escapement, cycloidal cheeks, false pendulum showing in an aperture in the dial.
James Ferguson Clock	Colin Thorne	plan (avail from Lautard)	James Ferguson’s unusual single hand clock with window showing the hours. Weight driven, with endless chain. Plans cover movement and dial only.
Salomon Coster Clock	Colin Thorne	plan (avail from Lautard)	8-day clock spring driven, based on example in the Rijksmuseum, Holland. Features a robust verge escapement with cycloidal cheek suspension.
How to make a Wooden Wheeled Clock & Dead Centre Turning	E J Tyler	book	Available from Camden Books & BHI.
8 Day Wall Clock	J Lowndes	Model Engineer two-part series started 17th December 1976	Similar to the Wilding design, but has date work. A general description and drawings are shown but few constructional notes. Experienced builders only.
Marking out and crossing clock wheels	J Malcolm Wild	Model Engineer series started 15th July 1983	Two parts (with 19th August 1983) on marking out clock wheels for crossing out, and piercing and finishing.
Striking Lantern Clock	J Malcolm Wild	Model Engineer series started 5th Sep 1975	Reproduction 17th Century brass frame weight driven short-bob pendulum clock with gear that strikes on the hour. One hand to show time, with verge escapement.
Construction of the Merlin Band Clock	J Wright	book	available from BHI
Hipp Electric Clock	John Radford	Model Engineer series started 16th Oct 1970	Construction series of simple pendulum electric clock.
How to make and English Style Bracket Clock	John Tyler	book	With instructions for case.
30 Hour Alarm Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	30 hour weight driven brass open case pendulum clock with alarm. Reproduction of 17th century type clock. Full description included.
8 Day Wall Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Weight driven clock, one second pendulum design to mount on wall with exposed pendulum and weights. Can be mounted within case if required to make a "grandfather" clock. Well written with beginner in mind. Comprehensive.
8 Day Wall Clock with Seconds Dial	John Wilding	Horological Journal 1990	Variation of above clock with additional seconds hand.
A Small Weight Driven Tower Clock Movement	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	?
Brass Frame Alarm Clock	John Wilding	Model Engineer series started 16th May 1986	An elegant and simple clock with a straight line train and open frames. Construction series. Weight driven with verge escapement and alarm. Also available as book.
Construction of a Congreve Rolling Ball Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Available from Camden Books.
Construction of a Drum Water Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Simple water-filled drum unwinds down two ropes. Not accurate but a conversation piece.
Construction of a Large Balance Wheel Electric Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Also published in The Clockmaker June/July 1991. Murday’s electric balance clock.
Construction of a Large Wheel Skeleton Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Well described. Also appeared in Time Craft magazine.
Construction of a Wooden Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	With set of full sized drawings
Crystal Wheel Skeleton Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	?
Electric Clock	John Wilding	Model Engineer series started 11th Sep 1998	Update of design by C R Jones. This is an easily made clock using the Hipp type movement. It has a 3/4 seconds pendulum. Construction series. Further revised by Tony Jeffree 11th Sep 2000.
How to Construct a Scissors Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Available from BHI & Camden Books.
How to Construct a Scissors Clock and a Fusee Grooving Tool	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	?
How to Construct a Tavern or Act of Parliament Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	8 day weight driven pendulum clock with large face similar to public type clocks. Full description included.
How to Construct a Wooden Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Includes a set of full size drawings. Available from Camden Books.
How to make a Simple 16th Century Style Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	?
How to Make an English Regulator Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	12 chapters on the construction of a fine weight driven regulator pendulum clock and case.
How to make Galileo’s Escapement	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Just the escapement, no clock attached.
Jubilee Electric Clock	John Wilding	Model Engineer series started 2nd Oct 1992	Edgar T Westbury designed this pendulum clock. John Wilding has here updated and improved it. See also 16th Dec 1994, p747 for reader’s suggestions. (Plan G8 – Nexus Special Interests). Also available as a book.
Machining and Construction of a Castle Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	?
Scroll Frame Skeleton Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	Spring driven with fusee. Full description included.
The Construction of a Modern Tower Clock Installation	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	With striking
The Construction of an English Dial Clock	John Wilding	book (avail from BHI)	With datework and instructions for the case.
Building a One Wheel Clock	John Wilding	Clock Magazine (date unknown)	?
The Aquarius Clock	John Orange	Model Engineer 1981	?
Regulator Clock	Peter Heimann	Model Engineer series started 12th Feb 1999	Simple weight driven pendulum clock with separate dials for seconds, minutes and hours. 8 day, dead-beat escapement, adjustable pallets.
A Pedestal Clock	Peter Heimann	Model Engineer series started 29 December 2005	A pendulum clock, weight driven which sits atop a casing which hides the fall of the weight.
Wall Regulator Clock	Peter Heimann	Model Engineer series started November 2002	Pendulum clock with three-plate movement.
Repton 8 day clock	Stan Bray	Model Engineer series started 16th Jan 1998	Basic 8 day one second pendulum weight driven clock suitable for wall or case. Kit available with ready-cut gears from BHI.
Grasshopper Clock	W R Smith	Model Engineer series started 18th Nov 1983	An elegant skeleton type clock with an interesting "Harrison" grasshopper escapement which is pretty to look at. Also available as book from BHI.
How to Build a Lyre Skeleton Clock	W R Smith	book	?
How to make a Skeleton Wall Clock	W R Smith	book	?
How to make a Strutt Epicyclic Clock	W R Smith	book	?
English Dial Clock	---	plan	Plan G12 – Nexus Special Interests.
Ferris Wheel Clock	Richard Stephen	Model Engineer series started 5th April 2002	An unusual clock powered by falling ball bearings working on the rim of the great wheel. The balls are elevated by a hidden electric motor.
30 Day Vienna Regulator	Richard Stephen	Horological Journal, Series started March 2000	Advanced design pendulum clock with two driving weights, dead-beat escapement, ball bearings, titanium escape wheel and other interesting ideas. Experts only.
The Strutt Epicyclic Geared Clock	Richard Stephen	Time Craft magazine	Very interesting design by master clockmaker.
A Beginners Clock	Eliot Isaacs	Engineering in Miniature, July 1984	A series of 11 articles, reprinted in The Clockmaker starting May 1990
A Pin Wheel transparency Clock	Harold Auger	Time Craft magazine	Description plus glass case.
The Eureka Electric Clock	Artificer	The Clockmaker June/July 1990	Reprinted from Model Engineer
A Skeleton Clock with Lever Escapement	John Stevens	Model Engineer 1972	Interesting.
How to Construct a Quarter Chiming Clock	Unknown	The Clockmaker Feb/Mar 1991	Reprints of articles in English Mechanics 1890, updated in 1910/11
Constructing a Clock with Rieflers Escapement	J Warbey	The Clockmaker Oct/Nov 1991	Series. Description given in June/July 1991 issue.
Eureka Battery Electric Clock	Alec Price	Engineering in Miniature, April 1996	?
An Electric Master Clock (Synchronome)	Eliot Isaacs	Engineering in Miniature, 1987	?
An Electric Clock with Semi-Free Balance	Stanley Wise	Model Engineer 10/11/1949	?
Longcase Clock Movement with Epicyclic Maintaining Work	Jack Lox	Time Craft magazine (date unknown)	Full details and interesting design.
The Schroder Clock	Douglas Bateman	Horological Journal	Brief description of interesting clock.
Beginners Weight Driven Clock	Robert Boyes	Model Engineer series started 14 June 2002	Simple weight driven pendulum clock with beginner in mind. Bar frames.
How to Make a Foliot Clock	Steven Conover	book	Weight driven skeleton type with foliot balance, single hand, 88 page book with 73 photos and drawings. See: http://www.clockmakersnewsletter.com/books.html
Building an American Clock Movement	Steven Conover	book	See: http://www.clockmakersnewsletter.com/books.html
How to Build a Regulator Clock	J Huckabee	82 page book	With critical notes & photos. Available from AWI, Cincinatti, Ohio, USA
Tower Clock and How to Make It	E Ferson	book	no details (can anyone advise?)
A Striking Bracket Clock	John Parslow	Model Engineer Volume 206 number 4400 (series 2011)	A simple timepiece and attractive bracket clock.
Portable Universal Sundial	David Wilcox	Model Engineer series started 15 November 2002	A very nice design with instructions for making an equation of time chart.
Replica 18th Century Hooded Wall Clock	Ian Beilby	Model Engineer Volume 190 Issue 4192 (series)	No information.
Replica Wallingford Clock	Don Unwin	Model Engineer Volume 191 Issue 4207 (series)	Recreation of a 14th Century clock.
World Time Dial Clock	Ian Beilby	Model Engineer Volume 191 Issue 4208 (series)	Unusual project.
Woodwards Gearless Mechanical Clock	John Wilding	Model Engineer Volume 192 Issue 4217 (series)	An interesting project.
John Harrison's "H3" Sea Clock Replica	Don Unwin	Model Engineer Volume 193 Issue 4235 (series)	A monumental undertaking.
French Great Wheel Clock	Ian Beilby	Model Engineer Volume 195 Issue 4255 (series)	Kit supplied by Classic Clock Kits.
16 Day Pedestal Clock	Peter Heimann	Model Engineer Volume 195 Issue 4262 (series)	No information.
Two Skeleton CLocks in the style of John Harrison	J S Pratt	Model Engineer Volume 196 Issue 4276 (series)	No information.
Magnetic Drive Clock	Richard Stephen	Model Engineer Volume 198 Issue 44293 & Volume 199 issue 4308 (series)	Challenging project.
15 day Skeleton Timepiece	John Parslow	Model Engineer Volume 200 Issue 4322 (series)	No information.
How to make a Grasshopper Escapement	Richard Stephen	Model Engineer Volume 204 Issue 4380 (series)	Another challenging project from this prolific author.
Making a Wall-Mounted Sundial	Tony Finn	Model Engineer Volume 204 Issue 4375	Unusual project.
Marine Chronometer	---	If you know the reference for this one - email me urgently!!!	Easily made accurate marine chronometer with bimetallic balance, spring detent escapement and fusee. Faithful copy of old maritime type.

John Wilding's books may be purchased from British Horological Institute, or from Camden Books in England.

Colin Thorne’s books are available from:

C.J. Thorne, LBHI,
Trafalgar Lodge, Newport Road,
Barnstaple, Devon EX32 9BD
ENGLAND

US and Canadian clockmakers may purchase W R Smith's clock plans & videos and John Wilding's books on-line from Clocktools.

US and Canadian clockmakers may get copies of Colin Thorne’s books from Guy Lautard. His site includes pictures of Thorne's clocks - very useful if you don’t know what they look like!.

Know of more clock designs not listed here? Comments on any of the designs listed? email me with details and I will include them in this list. Everyone will benefit. Created by Philip Coleman, Sydney, Australia.

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Last updated: 1st January 2004.