The phrase “quality craftsmanship”is used so often it’s become quite cliché, but it’s a raritywhen the products or the craftsmen themselves live up to the billing.
Dick Osgood is among that rare breed – craftsmen who live andbreathe their work, and approach their craft with an almost giddyenthusiasm. Osgood’s trade is equally rare – selling, repairingand restoring one-of-a-kind Vienna Regulator antique clocks athis business, The Time Period, located at 357 Main St. in LosAltos.
Osgood, a former Hewlett-Packard Company engineer, became enamoredwith the painstaking, handmade craftsmanship that went into theseclocks after his first purchase back in 1968. He soon realized,too, that there were few options available for proper repair andrestoration.
“I found out rapidly that the clock repair industry is anabomination,” Osgood said. “Some guys use only two tools- a hammer and a chisel.”
So he researched and experimented with various methods and productsto do the job himself. He even researched the “time period”- about 1810-1890 – when these Austrian clocks were made.
As a result, those in the know look to Osgood as one of the foremostexperts on Vienna Regulators. His customers are all over the countryand former H-P boss Bill Hewlett is among them.
The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, basedin Pennsylvania, sought Osgood’s expertise in two videos, “Mechanismand Brass Restoration” and “Cabinet Restoration.”
Despite more than almost 30 years around these clocks, Osgoodappears continually fascinated by them. “They’re the mostunique style of clock in the world,” he said, adding theycontain “some of the finest mechanisms in history.”
Osgood said the clocks come from an unusually peaceful periodin history where clock makers labored free from the anxiety ofwar, patiently and meticulously crafting their works a piece ata time. Even the wood finish, which shines on to this day, tookthree months or more, Osgood said.
The clocks are all weight-driven, he said, with the weights loweringas the clock unwinds. Some need winding once a week, or eightdays, and others can go a month. Some clocks mark every quarterhour, half-hour or hour, followed by tones indicating the hourof the day. Because of the attention to detail, the clocks arerenown for their durability. When properly cared for, the clocksseldom need any repair work – even after 150 years.
Osgood said the Vienna Regulators are recognized as officialworks of art and virtually all clocks made before 1820 are notavailable for less than $20,000. Most of Osgood’s collection,among the most extensive of any shop in the nation, run in the$2,000-to-$6,000 range.
“I’m an incredible striver for originality,” Osgoodsaid. “I feel what we have here is history. When I look atone of these clocks, I find myself saying, ‘That’s fine work,Gustav (name of one of the clock makers). I congratulate you -your work lives on..’ “
The Time Period is open 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdaythrough Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The telephone numberis 949-1649.
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