The Mechanism Inside a Tempus Fugit Clock

Tempus Fugit translates from Latin as "time flies." You see it on countless mantel clocks and wall clocks from the late 19th through mid-20th century, usually stamped on the brass pendulum bob or etched into the dial. The phrase itself isn't tied to a single manufacturer. It's a decorative motif that dozens of makers used, which is why identifying a specific clock often requires looking past the inscription and examining the case construction, the movement markings, and the maker's plate if one exists.

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The clocks you're most likely to encounter are the Vienna regulator-style movements housed in wooden or bronze-cased brackets. These are weight-driven, not spring-driven, which makes a meaningful difference in how they operate and what can go wrong. The movement runs on two weights: one for the time train and one for the chime train if the clock has one. This is fundamentally different from a Westminster chime grandfather clock, which uses a single chain and pulley system. Vienna regulators use separate chains or cables, and the weights drop through the back of the movement plate rather than swinging out to the sides. I've worked on maybe two dozen of these over the years. The most common problem I see isn't that the clock is broken. It's that someone has reassembled it incorrectly after a cleaning and it simply won't run because the trains are out of order. The key sequence on these movements is strike first, then chime, then time. If you wind them in the wrong order or the pins aren't positioned correctly on the counting wheel, the clock will either stay silent or start hammering away at odd hours. It's frustrating until you realize the fix is almost always just rotating the counting wheel to the correct index position before releasing the detent.

Identifying What You Actually Have

The phrase "Tempus Fugit" appears on clocks from numerous manufacturers. Some notable ones include J. & G. Meisel, Ansonia, Seth Thomas, and various Austrian and German makers who produced Vienna movements under license. The case style gives you more information than the dial text. A tall-case bracket clock with a moon phase dial and painted brass face is usually an Ansonia or Seth Thomas from the 1890s to 1920s. A shorter rectangular case with a silvered dial and Roman numerals is more likely a Vienna regulator clone made by a smaller European workshop. If the movement is enclosed in a solid brass or bronze casing with ormolu decoration, you're probably looking at a French-style clock, possibly from the early 1900s. I once had a clock come through my shop that had "Tempus Fugit" prominently displayed on the dial. The case was mahogany with carved acanthus leaves. Everything pointed to an Ansonia, but the movement plate had no maker's mark at all. Turns out it was a re-branded movement from a defunct Connecticut firm that Ansonia had absorbed in the 1930s. The lesson here is that the dial text and the case don't always match the movement's actual origin. Always check the back of the movement plate for stamps or etched numbers before assuming you know what you're dealing with.

Winding and Running Your Clock Correctly

Most of these clocks need winding once a week. That's the standard for a 30-hour Vienna regulator and once a day for an 8-day movement. The weights should descend smoothly without binding. If you feel resistance when turning the winding arbor, stop immediately. Forcing a stuck weight is how people snap chains and bend arbors. Usually the issue is dried lubricant on the pivot points or a tangled cable. A few drops of clock oil on each pivot and gently working the weight up and down by hand will often free things up. Don't use 3-in-1 or WD-40. Those are not clock oils and they'll turn into gum within months. When setting the time, always move the minute hand clockwise. Pushing it counterclockwise can damage the changeover mechanism, especially on clocks with automatic strike-on-the-hour features. And if your clock has a chime mechanism, learn where the chime selector is. Most have a three-position switch: silent, quarter chime only, or full hour and quarter chime. I've seen too many clocks brought in with smashed hammers because someone set the time while the chime was engaged and the hammer kept striking during the hand rotation.

Common Failures and What to Expect

The pendulum bob on these clocks is typically brass with a tempered steel rod. The rod adjusts through a threaded nut at the bottom, which is how you regulate the rate. If your clock is gaining or losing significantly, the first thing to check is whether the bob is sitting level and whether the rod is straight. A bent rod throws off the center of gravity and makes accurate regulation nearly impossible. I've straightened a number of these rods using a pair of smooth-jaw pliers and careful pressure. You're not trying to make it perfect, you're just removing the obvious bend. Another failure point I see regularly is the pallet fork. On Vienna movements, the pallets are tiny and hardened steel. When they wear, the clock loses amplitude and runs erratically. The fix isn't replacement, it's usually a careful re-palleting done by someone who has the right tools. Trying to file pallet faces yourself without experience will ruin the engagement geometry and make the problem worse. The same goes for the escape wheel teeth. If you see worn or hooked teeth, the movement needs professional attention or a full rebuild. A less obvious issue is the governor, also called the air vanes, located at the bottom of the movement. These control the speed of the time train by creating air resistance. If dust and old oil clog the vanes, the clock will run fast because there's less drag. Cleaning the governor is straightforward: remove the two screws, take the assembly out, and soak it in naphtha or a dedicated parts cleaner. Dry it completely before reinstalling. This single maintenance step fixes more misbehaving Tempus Fugit clocks than anything else.

What These Clocks Can't Do

They aren't precision instruments. A well-maintained Vienna regulator might hold within 15 to 30 seconds per week under ideal conditions. Room temperature changes affect the brass rod expansion and contraction, which shifts the rate. If your clock is in a room that gets cold at night and warm during the day, expect noticeable variation. That's normal. Don't try to compensate by over-adjusting the regulator nut. Small, patient tweaks are better than big corrections that swing you from fast to slow. You also shouldn't expect these clocks to be quiet. The rack and snail striking mechanism produces a distinct clatter, and the quarter chimes on higher-end models can sound tinny if the hammers are misaligned. I've heard people assume a clattering strike means the clock is broken. It's just how these mechanisms work. The sound is inherent to the design. Long-term storage is another area where people make mistakes. Taking the weights off and leaving the clock disassembled for months will cause the pivots to set unevenly and the oil to degrade completely. If you need to store a Tempus Fugit clock, wind the weights fully up, engage the strike disabler if your model has one, and leave it assembled in a stable environment. Running it occasionally, even just once a month, keeps the oils distributed and prevents the pivots from developing flat spots.

Where to Find Replacement Parts

Genuine OEM parts for these clocks are essentially nonexistent for anything older than 50 years. Most replacement components come from specialty suppliers who reproduce Vienna movement parts in small batches. Companies like Howard Watts Clock Parts, The Clock Place, and various European suppliers carry pallets, escape wheels, chains, weights, and pendulum rods. The trick is knowing what you need before you order. Measure your existing parts carefully. Chain diameter, weight shape, pivot hole spacing—these details matter more than you'd think. If you're doing a full restoration, budget for the movement to be opened completely. Even if it seems to run fine, old oil contains abrasive metal particles from years of wear. Cleaning the movement fully andoiling every pivot will improve performance noticeably. The process takes about two to three hours for someone experienced and longer for a first attempt. Don't rush it. Take photos at each stage so you know how everything goes back together.