Clockmaker Notes on iPhone: Movement Service, Escapement Assessment & Regulation Records

Clockmaking combines precision mechanics, historical knowledge, and patient diagnostic work. A movement that hasn't run in thirty years may require part fabrication. An antique bracket clock may have been serviced with incorrect lubricants that have since gummed the escapement. Every significant clock has a history, and the clockmaker who services it adds another chapter. Nemos gives clockmakers a place to capture that chapter in detail.

Why Clockmakers Need Structured Notes

Clock service involves systematic inspection, diagnosis, and adjustment across dozens of components — each of which can be the source of a problem or the product of a prior incorrect repair. Without documented service records, each subsequent service starts blind. With notes, the history is visible: what was done before, what was found, what was replaced, and how the clock was performing at delivery.

What to Capture in Nemos

Movement Identification and Intake Assessment At intake: - Clock type (bracket, longcase, Vienna regulator, carriage, skeleton) - Estimated period and probable maker or origin - Movement type: fusee, going-barrel, weight-driven, spring-driven - Escapement type: anchor recoil, deadbeat, platform, cylinder - Strike/chime configuration - Current condition: running, stopped, damaged - Customer-described problem

Intake assessment creates the baseline — what the clock was doing when it arrived and why.

Disassembly and Cleaning Observations During service: - Lubricant condition found (dried, gummed, contaminated, correct, absent) - Pivot wear and condition (polished, worn, pitted, seized) - Pinion leaf condition - Click spring and click condition - Any broken or missing parts - Evidence of prior repair (non-original parts, filed surfaces, incorrect screws)

Service findings document the clock's history and inform the work required.

Escapement Assessment The escapement is the heart of the rate: - Pallet and escape wheel condition (worn, correct geometry, polished) - Lock, draw, and drop measurements (where measurable) - Impulse surface condition - Pallet staff and arbor condition - Beat setting approach and measured beat error

Escapement notes are the technical record for rate performance — essential for regulated precision timepieces.

Mainspring and Power Train - Mainspring width, thickness, and length (for replacement or comparison) - Spring material condition (set, fatigued, broken) - Barrel and arbor condition - Wheel and pinion wear assessment - Power at the escapement (rough assessment)

Regulation Records At delivery regulation: - Rate observed over test period (gains/loses per day) - Adjustment made (regulator position, pendulum adjustment, balance spring) - Final rate achieved - Temperature and position variation if noted

Regulation records are what the customer cares about at delivery — and what explains any follow-up rate issues.

Customer Commission Notes For restoration or fabrication work: - Customer expectations and any specific requirements - Parts to be fabricated (description, dimensions) - Finish approach (cleaned and oiled, full restoration, replating) - Delivery timeline agreed

Commission notes prevent expectation drift on long projects and document what was agreed for billing and dispute protection.

Historical Research Notes

For movements of uncertain origin or period: - Reference sources consulted - Identifying features cross-referenced - Maker attribution and confidence level - Any period-appropriate parts sourcing notes

Historical research notes accumulate into a reference library that helps future attribution work.

FAQ

Can I use Nemos offline in a workshop with poor signal? Yes. Full offline functionality. Notes sync to iCloud when WiFi is available.

How do I handle photos of pivot wear or escapement condition? Attach macro photos through a loupe or microscope to the relevant service note. Visual documentation of wear conditions is more informative than text description.

Is Nemos useful for parts sourcing research? Yes — capture parts catalog references, supplier names, and available old-stock sources for specific calibers in a reference note per movement type.

How do I organize notes across many movements awaiting service? Title notes with clock type and customer identifier. Tags by movement type and status (intake, in-service, regulated, collected) keep the queue organized.

What about records for repeated service on the same clock? Add a dated entry to the existing clock note at each subsequent service. The movement history accumulates in one place.

Why not just use a workshop job book? Job books require you to be physically present to consult them. Nemos goes to antique fairs, auctions, and parts suppliers. Search finds any movement type, caliber, or observation in seconds.

Related Reading

• /blog/watchmaker-notes-iphone — precision movement service and regulation documentation
• /blog/goldsmith-notes-iphone — precision craft commission and client record documentation
• /blog/piano-technician-notes-iphone — precision mechanical service and regulation records
• /blog/reliability-engineer-notes-iphone — mechanical system condition assessment and failure documentation

Sources

• Clockmaking technical references: British Horological Institute technical education publications
• Movement identification: Baillie's Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World and the Clockmakers' Company museum documentation

Download Nemos free on the App Store.