Launceston Town Clock

During May 2011 Glasgow Engineering were required to assist Graham Mulligan of Clockwise to make alterations to the town clock. Over the years the automatic winder had caused some damage to the pawls and had broken teeth off of the ratchet gear on the chiming barrel. Unfortunately when the clock movement was initially installed there was no facilitation to remove the barrel for maintenance work to be undertaken. This required Glasgow Engineering personnel to manufacture vertical support legs and cut both sections of the clock movement horizontal support beams out. With the winding barrel removed, Glasgow Engineering manufactured a new ratchet gear and two new pawls.

 Launceston’s Town Clock is a tower clock manufactured by Gillet and Johnston in 1909. It has a 2 second pendulum with a double three legged gravity escapement, the same as Big Ben. William Gillett was the founder of the firm. He first began as a clock maker in Hadlow, Kent under the patronage of Lord Sackville-West. He then moved to Clerkenwell, London and from there to Croydon where he established his business in 1844.

From 1844 when William Gillett moved his business to Croydon, through the early part of the 20th Century when Cyril Johnston joined the firm, to the present day Gillett & Johnston has been manufacturing, installing and servicing clocks for clients around the world.