Posts In: Clock

NewsTime

February 19, 2019 News

It’s been a busy start to the year here at Smith of Derby. The team have been working hard both in our works and out on the road to keep Britain’s clocks ticking, along with some huge international work which we hope to share with you very soon. In the meantime, please read further about our recent activities. We are delighted that in this edition of NewsTIME we can report that we have received feedback from our training partner, Learning Unlimited, that Joe Mines has achieved a ‘distinction’ in a recent examination on engineering health & safety, attaining 85%. Staying…

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Time for Valentines

February 14, 2019 News

Valentines day, a day for celebrating love and spending the day with your loved one. Many people choose to take their partner to a favourite restaurant of theirs to make them feel extra special. But those who are out this evening, eating and drinking their favourite cuisine, are unlikely to realise just how close they are to a Smith of Derby timepiece. Over the years we have installed many timepieces in bars and restaurants across the globe. One of our most recent was at the German Gymnasium in central London, a restaurant which specialises in Mittel-European food for breakfast, lunch…

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Harrison Clock Visit

February 12, 2019 News

This morning, volunteers from the Derby Museum of Making arrived for a tour of the clock works. After a short introduction from Managing Director Bob Betts, which touched on the history of the family company and its commitment to the future of clockmaking, Bob handed over to Customer Service Manager, Tony Charlesworth, who led the nine visitors on a tour of the factory. Of particular note was the Harrison Clock. Tony outlined how Smith of Derby apprentices had been responsible for the dismantling, restoring and reassembly of the clock, and how the clock was back to full working order and…

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Kuala Belait Public Clock Tower

February 7, 2019 News

Having worked on all corners of the globe there are few countries which do not feature a Smith of Derby clock across the world. However, Brunei was one of those until recently. In late 2018 we were commissioned to supply four clocks for a prestigious public clock tower in the town of Kuala Belait, situated in the West of the South East Asian country. The blue clock drums were fabricated in house using high grade aluminium and finished with marine grade paint to ensure a high-quality product was provided. The clock dials were made from opal acrylic based upon a…

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Junction Centro Clock, Stourbridge Station

January 31, 2019 News

The ‘Junction Centro Clock’ is iconic to those who use Stourbridge station regularly. The clock, based upon a colorful railway theme, stands 3.5m tall by the station exit. It offers those disembarking at the West Midlands station a wonderful first sight, whilst also displaying accurate time for those catching forthcoming trains. Originally installed in 1997 by JB Joyce, part of the Smith of Derby Group, the clock is also supported by a train whistle when the time reaches the quarters and an emulation of a steam train passing on the hours. Whilst this audio noise is projected, the four signals…

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Christmas at Smith of Derby

December 21, 2018 News, Seasons

The works will be closing on Friday 21st of December at 15:30pm and re-opening on Wednesday 2nd of January at 8am. However, should you require any assistance during the Christmas break, please email service@smithofderby.com with both contact details and some information on the problem. We will then contact you as soon as possible. Smith of Derby would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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The Old Joe Clocktower

December 11, 2018 Uncategorized

The University of Birmingham boasts the tallest free-standing clock tower in the world at the heart of its campus, commonly known as ‘Old Joe’ or ‘Big Joe’. In 2017 Old Joe fell silent as the Smith of Derby Group carried out repairs to the strike side of the clock so the famous chimes could be heard across campus once again.   The tower has also had other practical purposes over the last 113 years, since it was built in 1905 when the four JB Joyce clock dials were first commisioned. It was originally designed with the physics department in mind to…

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Master Clock System and Skeleton Dial

November 22, 2018 Heritage, News

Victoria college, St Helier, is the island of Jersey’s oldest state school, dating back to 1853. A prominent feature of the campus is a black and white skeleton clock dial. However, this school boasts more than one clock dial as there are a number of other clocks across the site which are operated by a master clock and slave system. The first task for Smith of Derby was to convert the exterior skeleton dial to a T200 movement, along with fabricating new hands which would fit this movement. This will ensure that the eye-catching dial will keep extremely good time…

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Clock Changing at Smith of Derby

October 31, 2018 Church, News, Public

As the majority of the nation enjoyed an extra hour in bed, there was no rest for our clockmakers as they began the monumental task of altering public clocks across the UK. Of course, it’s not all public clocks which have to be changed manually, there are more pendulum regulators being used thus meaning less work for our clockmakers when it comes to this time of year. However, it is still a major operation which involves accurate planning and a dedicated team of clockmakers. “The planning for this operation starts in the height of summer as routes are planned and…

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The Hourglass Clock at Burghley House

September 3, 2018 News, Uncategorized

As the Burghley Horse Trials come to an end for another year, we look back to 2009 and our work at Burghley House, Lincolnshire, which is a major landmark at the prestigious equestrian event. We were asked to design, fabricate and install a feature clock for the house gardens, which would allude to the seafaring ancestry of the Burghley family, in whose gardens the timepiece is located. The hourglass pedestal bears 12 icons which correspond with each passing hour. They correlate with specific stories relating to members of the family including Lord Burghley, English statesman and friend to Queen…

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