As with everything in modern life, the old skills are passing away as no-one wants to apprentice in the classical skills. This affects Mora clocks in particular.
So its now so hard to find a good upholsterer, french polisher, furniture restorer etc. I mean a real old school professional not someone who has just done a one week course or is playing at it. You don't want a rank amateur touching your antique mora clock do you!
The same applies to horologists or clock repairers. It is a unique skill set to be able to repair and set up old clockworks and as people retire or die off , there are fewer new horologists coming on stream to replace them.
Those that remain can charge stupid prices for repairs, set ups and rebuilds of clockworks as their skills are now so rare and they generally have very long waiting lists of 6 months or more. That of course assumes they are actually any good since there are some very poor clock repairers out there that can still charge the earth because there is no where else to turn.
You must also remember that Mora Clock mechanisms are very different to the precision made and very complicated english clockwork mechanisms of the same period.
In a way the English ones are easier to repair as the complicated mechanism has many parts that can be replaced and balanced.
A mora clock mechanism on the other hand is very simple and made generally of low quality parts that are difficult to replace and are generally very worn. So with a mora clock once you have sorted out any broken or worn cogs and sprockets, the actual working of the clock depends entirely on finding the balancing point between all the deficiencies that the mechanism shows to get it working.
That is why we install electric battery mechanisms in all the antique mora clocks we sell.
It makes it easier for you as you just change the battery every now and then and if you chose the chiming version - it sounds great as it is a recording of a real clock chime replayed through a small speaker.
We can remove the original clockwork easily without hurting the clock as it is generally only held in place by a small screw hook and then fit the battery version.
We also need to change the hands as the battery version cannot drive the metal hands which are too heavy - they need an 8lb lead weight to work!
However the replacement hands are an identical shape so you won't see any difference when you look at the clock.
We have 5 very special mora clocks at home and all are fitted with battery or chiming battery mechs.
Its so easy - no special set up required, no stopping while you are holiday, no swing plane to knock off true when the clock is accidentally moved. Great sounding chimes on the hour and an 8 hour night off switch too!
What is not to like!