Look at the wheels, plates, and escapement. Narrow down the maker, country, and era.
Antique clock movements were made in large numbers across Europe and North America. Many carry no visible name. This identifier walks you through the visual features that matter most, then returns a short list of likely makers, a country of origin, and an estimated date range.
If you cannot remove the movement, skip the questions you cannot answer. The identifier will return a broader result set.
Answer each question based on what you see. You can change answers at any time.
Look at the outline of the front and back plates.
Count the main train wheels between the plates. Do not count strike levers or chain wheels.
Look at the last wheel in the train and the pallet fork.
Measure the widest point between the plates in millimeters.
Look at the screw heads and the pillars between the plates.
Any stamped text, serial numbers, or trademarks on the plates.
Answer the questions above to see results. The more questions you complete, the narrower the match.
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Short guides to help you answer the questions above.
Open the plates if you can, or look through the spacers. Count only the wheels in the main train from the great wheel to the escape wheel. Strike levers, calendar wheels, and chain sprockets are not part of this count. A time-only movement usually has three. A time-and-strike movement usually has four. Calendar or chiming movements often have five or more.
The anchor escapement has a fork with two pointed pallets that rock back and forth. The deadbeat escapement looks similar but the pallets have flat faces. The verge escapement is older and uses a crown-shaped wheel with a vertical rod. The cylinder escapement is a horizontal tube with a slit, common in French and some English bracket clocks.
After you get a result, compare the plate width and wheel count against the maker's known production ranges. If the movement has a serial number, search it in the maker's production ledger. If the country result does not match the style of the case, the movement may have been swapped at some point.
You find a movement at an estate sale. The plates are round, about 68 mm wide. It has four wheels, a deadbeat escapement, and brass screws with plain pillars. The back plate reads "Herschede" with the number 4127. The identifier returns Herschede, United States, 1890 to 1910. You cross-check the serial number in a Herschede ledger and confirm 1903. The result matches the hardware and the case style.