Newton man loves fixing clocks

The pendulum on the Seth Thomas wall clock, caramel stained and past its centennial, swings with near accuracy. On the quarter hour it chimes and strikes, joining the symphony of 40 other time pieces in Charles Elliott’s Newton living room.

Some made of porcelain, others of wood, a group from Germany and his first purchased in England, Elliott’s collection of clocks is a reminder he has all the time in world.

“I don’t have the word ‘hurry’ in my vocabulary,” Elliott said in his basement clock repair shop. “Which is good for clock work.”

The former Newton Senior High School teacher and former Newton Country Kitchen co-owner has operated Elliott Clock Shop from his home at 117 W. 12th St. S. since 1988. Elliott repairs “almost anything that can walk in the door.”

His business is mostly repeat customers, but although he quit advertising seven years ago, the business continues to grow by word-of-mouth. Recently returning from a winter trip to Florida, Elliott came home to projects waiting.

“We were gone for seven weeks, and my answering machine filled up three weeks before that,” Elliot said with a chuckle. “I keep busy.”

The 74-year-old will clean, restore and/or repair most varieties of clocks but recently has stopped working on grandfather clocks. His pricing will vary depending upon the intricacy of the job. Cleaning could range from $25-$40 — new bearings or a job where the clock must come apart could run $100 or more. Elliott also will do restorations to a point. He sends clocks out to second-party restorers who will research the original look of the antiques to maintain their value.

“The more complicated the movement the more work is entailed,” Elliott said. “Time, time and strike, chime, time and strike. The more adjustments, the more time it involves, but I love doing it.”

His workshop is simple, but with eccentricity scattered throughout. The L-shaped wooden work bench is littered with precision tools, wood glues and fine-tip paint brushes. Above hangs a peg board with rows of brass clock keys and numbered paper dials fit for all sizes of time-keepers. Pictures of dogs playing poker near the ceiling extend the length of table. A drill press sits in one corner and a book case, which holds a motor-driven pendulum that extends to the floor, in the other. After he finishes repairs, he will set customers’ products on an antique table in the entry-way. German cuckoo clocks pre-dating World War II are displayed for sale above his shop’s door.

This is where Elliott spends his mornings and afternoons installing glass, replacing hands, manipulating escapements (the wheel which allows it to tick) and cleaning the mechanisms of a variety of clocks: French, English and German pieces. He also will work on American clocks, which Elliott says are “very repairable, very fine time-keepers” but have not been manufactured for over 50 years.

His interest in clocks began as a child, watching his parents’ interest in the craft of clock repair, woodworking and antique restoration.

“My dad was able to figure things out. He didn’t have any former training, but he could take a clock and was able to correct its problems,” said Elliott. “Maybe not in the right way, but I don’t think we ever took any of his clocks to a clockmaker. He was mechanical, self-taught.”

But Elliott did become certified. After he left teaching, Elliott decided to take his aptitude for the craft, by suggestion of his wife, went to the School for Clock Repair in Owanda South Carolina. After his education, he worked part-time with a master clockmaker for three years at Howe’s Clock Shop in West Des Moines’ Historic Valley Junction. While in training, Howe encouraged Elliott to get his certification from the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute. He passed the test and now posts a diploma above his work bench.

Elliott continues his own education by attending clock auctions, specifically the Semi-Annual Gene Harris Clock & Watch Auction in Marshalltown, to keep up on trends and understand values to be able to appraise at customer request.

Back in his living room, Elliott walks through his the pieces in his collection. Most pieces are aged at least 100 years, containing single weight American clocks, German wall clocks, anniversary and 600 day clocks. His oldest piece is over 200 years old.

“If you look around the room as you can see there is almost a clock in every direction,” Elliott smiled. “But I try not to over do it. I have a rule. If I see something I can’t live without, I will sell one to replace.”

A Newton resident since 1964, Elliott has a master’s degree in vocal music performance from Drake University in Des Moines. It was as a teacher at Newton High School that Elliott recieved a Maytag travel grant in 1967 and traveled to England. While overseas he purchased his first antique clock, a black wood stained French table piece, which began his personal collection. Between teaching and managing a local restaurant, Elliott sees memorable faces come through door of his shop.

“I see former students, former employees, and I get grandchildren of former students and former employees, he said. “Pretty nifty.”

As for his clock business, Elliott hopes to be able to continue for many years to come.

He said, “My hands are still steady, and my eyes are still good, and my brain still seems to function.”

Mike Mendenhall can be contacted at 792-3121 ext. 422 or via e-mail at mmendenhall@newtondailynews.com.