Restoring Memories With Every Repair
Welcome to Master Clock Repair
This is a place where heirlooms are restored, and memories preserved. Simply put, we repair clocks of all sorts, whether they are 300 years old or 3 weeks old. Family owned and operated; we strive to give you the most affordable prices while providing some of the highest quality restorative work in the nation. You just can't put a price on seeing your modern or antique clock running again. There is nothing that makes us happier than putting smiles on our customer's faces. You will quickly find that this is not your typical web site. In addition to our location and contact information we have endeavored to fill this site with interesting information that will appeal to those who are fascinated with clocks. Be sure to explore all of our many pages where you can discover the wonderful world of Master Clock Repair.
the creation of an heirloom
Countless hours have ticked away during the life of the clocks that come through our door. Many Saturday or Sunday mornings began with the winding of the family clock. the ticking became the heartbeat of their homes, and the chimes brought a familiar warmth. The clock slowly became another member of the family. those that came before us turned the hands of time. With each turn of the key, they invested a bit of themselves, and the clock became a reservoir of sentimentality. the sound of the chimes marked the events of our lives. with every setting of the hands, a memory was being formed, and with every strike of the hour, an heirloom was being created.
With each tick of the clock, seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours. days then turned into weeks, months and years. eventually, after decades of service, the ravages of time caused the clock to fail. the ticking ceased and the once beautiful chimes fell silent. It is odd that time itself is the enemy of clocks. Now the clock sits quietly, a mere shadow of its former self, sometimes stored away in a basement or attic, a slowly fading memory, until “fate” led you here.
Time Stands still...
…until it flies.
Rest assured you are right where you are supposed to be. You have stumbled upon the secret to “immortality”, the preservation of time and memory. Clocks are excellent storehouses of sentiment as it applies to the generations that came before us. Remember this moment for it has now become a part of your clock’s history. You have found Master Clock Repair, where time no longer stands still…but “flies”…Tempus Fugit.
why choose master clock repair?
When it comes to clock repair in Ohio you have several choices. At Master Clock Repair, we do not attempt to compete with other clockmakers on price alone. We compete by offering better service, an honest appraisal of the clock’s needs and quality repair work. You might think that this means we charge more than other shops, but in fact, many of our fees are less than our competition. Master Clock Repair has more reviews and more independently verifiable qualifications than all other local shops combined. As of January 2023, we have a 5 star-rating on yellowpages.com from over 45 reviews, 4.7 stars on google from over 80 reviews, 4.9 stars on Facebook from 65 reviews, an A rating from Angie’s List from over 100 reviews and we are rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. Michael Gainey is the most experienced certified clockmaker in Central – Ohio. With more certifications, training, and experience, why call anyone else? On top of all that, you can be confident that if you leave a message on our phone or email, we will make every effort to return your call or email as promptly as possible.
For more information on Michael’s many qualifications please see our “Qualifications Page”.
Meet the Clockmakers
a father and Son Team
Michael Gainey CC21
AWCI Certified Clockmaker of the Twenty-First Century
Michael Gainey is our master clock repairman and company founder. He has endeavored to build a company based on professionalism, integrity and honesty while offering a higher level of customer service. With over 40 years of full-time clock repair experience, he has repaired over 40,000 clocks including over 24,000 house calls. If his experience alone does not speak of his skills, he is one of only 15 people in the world who holds the title of AWCI Certified Clockmaker of the Twenty-first Century. He continues to serve and support the trade through his teaching and volunteer work at AWCI.
Christian Gainey
Clockmaker
Michael’s son Christian joined the company eleven years ago. although Christian admits he has yet to absorb all of his father’s knowledge, he has grown up around clocks his entire life and is quite accomplished in his own right. working side by side with his father, Christian often jokes that he is a lifelong apprentice. However, having repaired over 3,000 clocks himself, he has more practical experience than many clockmakers that have worked for decades. Christian takes great pride in his work and is often complimented on his knowledge, delightful personality and his friendly personal service.
Michael and Christian
Taking a Lathe Cross Slide Tune-Up class at a recent AWCI Educational symposium
Michael and Christian
Father and son take a special day off every year to spend some special time together at Old Man’s Cave.
There is quality work…
When it comes to clock repair, the skill level of any given clockmaker can differ dramatically. In times long past, an apprenticeship was the only path for gaining the skills necessary to excel in any trade. Day in and day out, the apprentice would absorb the knowledge of the teacher. They would hone their craft under the unforgiving eyes of the master. When mistakes were made, they were shown the correct way. Apprenticeship was and is, by far, the best way to learn any of the skilled trades. This is the method by which Michael and Christian were trained. Unfortunately, many of today’s clockmakers are self-taught, having no one to correct them when they make mistakes or show them the correct methods for a proper repair.
As time passed and technology progressed, information has become more accessible. You can watch a video on just about anything you want to know how to do with a simple search online. However, some things, such as clock repair, require more than just knowledge. They require the skill and finesse of experienced hands.
…and then there is this.
Unfortunately, this is a real example of something that came through our shop. Hopefully you can see the difference between this and the repair above. These are the same wheels! I truly hate to say it, but this isn’t that uncommon. We come across this type of work all the time, often multiple times a week. See our “hall of shame” page for more examples of this.
Many people in the clock trade began clock repair as a hobby or a second or even third career. (Not so with Michael and Christian. Clock repair is all they have ever done.) a few are lucky enough to undergo an apprenticeship. Regardless of the path chosen, aspiring clockmakers are able to further their education through classes, workshops, certification and even time spent pouring over horological literature.
Very few take this path however as they believe they know enough already, and they might… until they don’t… and they do something like what you see in the picture on the left. All repairs are not “created” equally, nor is every clockmaker equally skilled. Regardless of who you choose, I highly encourage you to seek out their credentials and gauge their skill. Our website has a page called “how To Choose A Clockmaker” that can help guide you in asking the right questions.