Internals of Quartz Clock Mechanisms

This is the only detailed explanation of the inner workings of these clocks I've seen. This is done superbly well! I have discarded so many clocks because the clock mechanism wasn't working. Now that I understand how it works, I can fix. My sister brought me an older clock that made the sound of a different bird every hour. It wasn't working and had belonged to my dad, so it was worth fixing. I took everything apart and found that the battery contact strips weren't making contact with the main board. I had to solder jumper wires to get power to the clock innards. After a lot of time and patience, I finally got it back together and it works! I would never have attempted this with the knowledge this video provides.

Thank you for a great description of how it all works. I found a beautiful wall clock in the dumpster where we live and brought it home. After cleaning it all up, I was able to get the motor working again by watching your video. I feel so smart now.

Thank you Robert, I have a little known tip! If you have a clock of this type that has been working for better than 15 years and is loosing about 5 min in a week, turn it over, 180 so the 6 is at the top, watch it for a week and if it keeps correct time you can rotate the mechanism in relation to the numbers and get another 15 or so years out of it. Gravity only wears the plastic on the bottom.

Hi Robert, I do not care whether it is a soleniod or armature. The fact that your video saved me some cash is what I am gratefull to you for the clear instructions

A very well described video that took us into the inner secrets of a regularly used item that we may never have known about. Thank you for a great lesson.

This video was made 9 years ago... but oh my THANK YOU DEAR FELLOW, thank you SO MUCH, I watched so many tutorials but you happened to be the only one who saved me and teached me to repair such t68 mechsnism! And to repair it I had to watch WHOLE video, trying to assemble it wrong way all along ahaha... but finally! It's an amazing feeling! I was really in a despair but - finally! It's a miracle! Thank you and bless you!

Thank you! My entire clock fell apart when I was trying to "redecorate" the face! I had to watch your video several times but it's back together and it's working!!!

After searching for a video to explain how clocks work for an hour, I found this video, and now I know what I wanted to know. I think I'll stop looking for more videos on how clocks work now. This had such a great explanation, thank you so much.

My 5 year old son has watched this video about 200 times! He loves clock mechinisms :)

I thoroughly ENJOYED this video 7.5 years after it was published. Thank you for taking the time to do the research and doing the video.

Thanks for the great video. I took a thrift store clock apart to paint it and change out the faceplate and the internal gears fell apart. Your video helped me figure out how to put it all back together again. Thanks!

Thanks for making this video! Although my clock wasn't the same model it was close enough to yours that I figured out how to repair my bathroom clock! I figured I had one gear out of whack, but when I got the backing plate off they all bounced out. After I saw how yours looked inside and you explained the solenoid and that first gear, the reassembly went fairly smoothly (except for when I put the backing plate back on - it took a couple of tries to get that plate on without that second gear bouncing out of place). Now I'm all set! (bad pun intended)!

thank you for your great video. I bought a make your own clock kit and found the "works" were not in tact. With your help, I put it back together and it works very well. Again, thank you very much!

Finally, an explanation I can get behind. As much as clockmakers and watchmakers hate quarts movents, it's hard not to acknowledge how elegant these simple mechanisms really are. I especially love that these things can run continuously for twenty years or more without any maintenance, and longer if it is, and still keep relatively accurate time for less than a few dollars.

Awesome! So cool to see the genius of normal everday mechanisms that we take for granted. Old clock works now! Mahalo nui (much appreciation) from Hawaiʻi!

A heartfelt thank you, for your detailed how to, I had one of these mechanisms get acid in it and after that it stopped working, I decided to take a chance and open it and give it a clean, after I opened it the whole thing fell into pieces on my desk. I was mystified as to how to put it back together. I managed to reassemble it, with the help of your video after cleaning the contacts. Again thank you very much for your explanation and the how to. Regards.

Awesome video, our clock fell off the wall and the mechanism shattered into every single component on the floor. I didn't think I had a hope of assembling it all back together but it's now back on the wall and working thanks to you!

THANKS!! I'VE BEEN TWO HOURS TRYING TO RE ARM A QUARTZ CLOCK, THIS WAS THE UNIQUE VIDEO I FOUND <3

I was questioning whether one pulse of the electromagnet caused a full rotation of the gear or a half a rotation. Your video answered that question for me very clearly. I was thinking in the very first part of the video "Put a mark on that gear to see how much it's rotating" and you did. So it takes a second reverse pulse of power to the coil to complete the revolution. Thank you!

Man thank you so much. My mom’s analog clock fell apart when changing the battery and I got everything else but couldn’t figure out those 2 bottom pieces. This was extremely helpful!