The photos below show the time lock in 'as received' condition. In addition to general dirt and grime, many of the screws were rusty. Since they were originally heat-blued, these would have to be cleaned, re-polished and re-blued. Notice too that one of the balance hair springs had been deformed. This was straightened under a magnifier with fine specialty tweezers.

Each part including all wheels, barrels, cocks, bridges and plates of the movement is individually stamped with matching serial numbers, in this lock #778. Since two individual movement trains are contained within one movement plate, all paired parts are stamped with a 1 or 2 to make sure seemingly identical parts are properly placed in each independent train. At this early point in the company's history each time lock was made as a complete, hand-made unit. The time lock cases were similarly made with each part having matching serial numbers, this lock having #778. As one can see from the close numbering between the case and movement, they were made at the same time.

First the lock is completely disassembled and inspected for damage or necessary repairs. Total parts count 183 including 14 pivot and end cap jewels. Unlike synthetic jewels of today, the natural ruby under high magnification shows the inclusions and imperfections present in the natural substrate.

All parts are cleaned in ultrasonic machines, rinsed and dried in an oven (with the exception of the escapement pallet assembly). This unit has jewel stones that are held in place by shellac which could be affected by cleaning chemicals and would melt in the heat. A simple liquid soap solution should be used here in the ultrasonic machine. Screws were refinished and re-blued using a heat gun to bring them to the desired color before quenching.

Reassembly. Note the yellow wire holding the escapement pallet assemblies to the top movement plate in the background. This trick keeps them in place and their impulse pins aligned to the balance wheel's safety rollers which are mounted on the same plate. Otherwise these units would fall out when the top plate was tipped over to be lowered onto the the wheels mounted in the lower plate. They cannot be left in the lower plate with the other wheels since they tuck under the balance wheel cocks. Their later-made model #4 had both balance wheel cocks mounted on the lower plate making reassembly much easier.