Clock Striking

Clocks have the following types of striking:

1. Passing strike - striking one only at the hour (common in skeleton clocks0
2. Hour strike - the hour number of strokes at the hour (the usual striking in longcase clocks)
3. Half-hour strike - the hour number of strokes at the hour and also one only at the half-hour. (The usual striking for mantel and wall clocks)
4. Ting-tang (Bim-bam) half-hour strike - two notes are struck in succession, one group at the half-hour and the hour number of groups at the hour. (Some 20th century French and German mantel and wall clocks)
5. Ting-tang (Bim-bam) quarter hour strike - one group of two notes is struck at the quarter past, two groups at the half-hour, three groups at quarter to the hour and the hour number of a single notes at the hour. This is also called petite sonnerie. (Most commonly found in high-quality German bracket clocks and some carriage clocks)
6. Grande sonnerie - at each quarter, the quarter number is struck on groups of two notes, as above, followed by the last hour number of single notes. Quarter to four is thus struck ting-tang, ting-tang, ting-tang, ting, ting, ting. (This is chiefly encountered in high-quality carriage clocks.)
7. Morbier strike - a type of half-hour strike where the hour strike is repeated at two minutes past the hour.
8. Roman strike - a two bell strike where one stroke of the low note bell counts as five and each stroke of the high note bell as one. Four will sound as ting, tang, and eleven as tang, tang, ting. (Very unusual)

The characteristics of striking mechanisms:

Rack striking is a mechanism whereby the strike stays in synchronism with the position of the hands, even if the strike is allowed to wind down, or the hands are moved without allowing the clock to strike each hour or half. If the striking side is allowed to wind down while the clock is still going, the clock may stop somewhere between 12 and 1 o'clock. In general, when properly adjusted, this type of striking allows the hands to be moved backwards or forwards providing that the clock is allowed to strike twelve when the hands reach that position, however, if any resistance to the movement is felt, stop turning.

Count-wheel striking is an earlier type of striking mechanism where the strike has to be put in synchronism with the hands, usually by momentarily lifting a lever in order to strike the next hour or half-hour until the strike coincides with the time shown by the hands. In a well-maintained clock that is kept wound, the strike will remain synchronised with the hands. It can get out of synch if the clock is allowed to wind down, or if the clock is worn, or if the hands are moved without allowing the clock to strike each hour (and half-hour, if it is a half-hour strike clock). Do not move the hands of this type of clock backwards unless specifically instructed to do so.

© John Locke 1996