The patented Clock Care System•
consists of three components.


1. The winder attached in a 100 % reversible manner.

This equipment makes it possible to automatically wind the weights without damaging the movement: the winding unit prevents the clock from being wound too tightly.
The winding unit pulls the weight up using a cord that is hooked to the original weight rope or line and that is wound through to the same barrel in the same direction. This means that nothing is attached directly to the clock parts and the winding unit can be installed at a distance. By defining the direction of pull on the winding cord in the opposite direction to that of the rope, the load on the bearings during winding is diminished.
Because battery backup is used, the ratchet wheel softly falls back against the click after the clock is wound. The battery backup serves as an inexpensive ‘back-up’ system for winding during a short power failure of the mains.

When the winding cord is unhooked, manual winding can be performed as usual.

This winding method is detrimental in movements that do not have 'Maintaining Power'; this is the system that ensures that the gears are still powered during winding.
With these movements, the pendulum must be stopped before winding and set back in motion thereafter. As a result, these clocks must be reset each time they are wound.
The Clock Care System• solves this problem by combining component 1. (the winder) with component 2. (the pendulum catcher).

2. The pendulum catcher, attached in a 100 % reversible manner.

This component holds the pendulum in its ‘farthest’ sideways position, meaning the point in time at which its motion is theoretically 0, in order to prevent damage to the pendulum and its suspension.
The pendulum of the movement must be adjusted to run a few seconds ahead of time each hour (see the previous
section 1.).
The end of an extremely thin (0.1 mm) but strong wire is hooked to the pendulum bob, which follows its sideways motion. The other end of the wire is fed into a small column that is located some distance from the clock. Inside, the motion of the wire is measured electronically, the pendulum is held at the proper moment and released exactly on time based on the DCF time signal.

When this wire is unhooked, the pendulum will function as usual.

3. Control system to protect the original movement.

The essence of automation is that a machine takes over one or more manual actions.
Because an automated clock no longer needs to be manually wound or reset, the regular ‘human’ checks are no longer performed and the opportunity for immediate action in case of calamities is lost.
It is for this reason that the quality of the automation is determined by the manner in which the equipment checks itself and the old clock in order to prevent damage.
If the movement starts running poorly and the weights no longer drop (which is observed by component 1.) or if the pendulum action fails to meet the specifications as defined (which is observed in the column 2.), the Clock Care System• is automatically put on hold and the clock will stop.
The relevant data (stored in a computer) can be ‘humanly’ interpreted later, and on the basis of this data the movement can be ‘physically’ repaired.
Safeguarded in this manner by the computer 3 together with the components 1. and 2, the clock is protected from improper running.

Providing the old clock is carefully maintained and automated in this manner, it has excellent future prospects of being treated carefully and saved as a living part of our cultural heritage.