I just received my rebuilt Smiths clock from my 69 Series II E-Type from Mike Eck of www.JaguarClock.com. Wow, very nice work, and turnaround, for a very reasonable price.
I elected to go with straight DC power via a 1.5 AA, since I always use my quick battery disconnect if
the E sits alone for a week or two. I gave him an old, rusty, inop Smiths clock with old Brit innards, and got in return:
nicely mounted external AA battery
nicely silver painted outer shell
nicely flat black painted bezel ring
and a new clean plexiglass face in lieu of old scratched glass face.
And one more “nice”, sure glad we still have great craftsmen in the US, who know how to resurrect
things.
Adding praise upon praise: Mike rebuilt Tweety’s clock, ca. 2006, and it kept near-perfect time till I sold the car in 2016, and Margaret’s Kienzle about 5 years ago, and it lives outdoors, 24/7/365, loses about 2 min/annum.
+2 re Mike Eck and his work. He did my tach also so it would work with the EDIS system. Excellent work. I had my clock changed to operate on the 12v system. Even if I disconnect the battery for a short or long time, it just takes a few seconds to set the correct time and be away. Also, doesn’t waste “on board” AA battery life when not in use.
I‘m sure it is very good work and will run perfectly forever, I know it is a much better clock etc. and would send mine over instantly but is there someone who rebuilds these clocks with the original movement? The clocks for classics board is nice and retains the ticking which I like so much but it doesn’t fit the XJ6 Smiths clock which must be the same as the knobs on the outside are identical… mine works again but I found nobody who directly offers a repair.
If I understand Mike Eck’s website correctly, his Series 2 clock doesn’t tick. Maybe Michael (B) could confirm. According to that source, the Series 2 clock design cannot be repaired (at least by Mr. Eck) and so he replaces the movement entirely. He writes that the components are very cheaply made and not designed for repair.
This is opposed to the Series 1 where he is able to just replace the electrical trigger components with his electronic units, retaining the original operating movement itself.
@bdragon, you are correct. Mike adds a “digital pacemaker” to the series 1 clock, much like what Clocks4Classics has been doing since 2012. This movement retains the jeweled “balance wheel assembly” that gives the famous ticking sound. Essentially, your clock becomes 20% digital, but still retains ticking authenticity.
According to both sources, the S2 clock cannot be repaired, so Mike replaces the entire internal mechanism with a modern movement. You have your choice for it to run off the car battery, or two use a AA battery in its place.
One of my hobbies is repairing clocks. I took my S2 clock apart thinking I’ll fix this… The glue holding the delicate coils disintegrates, I can confirm there is no way to fix a series 2 clock.
Okay, that’s sad.
I have a note on my battery cable to start the clock and I‘m the only one touching it. I‘ll hope for the best. I was hoping to repair Martins S2 E Type clock one day. It will be quartz then.
I bought a cheap electronic alarm clock at Walmart and transferred the guts to the Series II case. I reshaped the hands and am satisfied wit h the result.
FYI: The following is an excerpt from Mike Eck’s email to me answering my question about whether my S2’s original clock was supposed to tick:
“…The earlier, pre 1968 cars had a Smiths clock built into the tachometer, and it ticked. It ticked loudly enough that you could hear it as you sat in the car before starting the engine. It’s possible that a roadster with the top down would allow you to hear it in the garage, if you listened closely. The clocks were designated “CE” for Clock Electric.”
“The S1.5 and S2 E-Types used a 60mm clock located in the center of the fascia, which was a completely different design. It was designated CTE3107/01 (look above the “12”) indicating Clock Transistor Electric. It still used a balance wheel but was more efficient and used plastic gears, so it did not make much of an audible tick as it oscillated. My restored S2 clocks sound just like the originals did, i.e., they’re virtually silent.”
“To determine if your clock has been modified, merely observe how you set the time. If you pull out the knob by the “10” and turn it to set the time, and the knob snaps back in when you release it, then it is original. If you push the knob in and the hands spin by themselves, then it has been modified the way most people, other than myself, modify it. …”
I can definitely hear the S2 clock when sitting in the car with the engine off. Tr it, pull the knob and release it, even a broken one should tick for a few seconds.
If you’re asking about the S2 clock as done by Mike… it uses one AA battery and although I never kept track I think the battery lasts more than a year. That is also about how often I adjust it.
