clock & barometer repairs
 
01277 658800   Billericay

Clocks have been a lifetime hobby of mine for 40 years so I know a good deal about them. But I also have 40 years' experience in handling insurance claims, too, having qualified in my professional life in London as a Fellow of the two most respected Chartered Institutes in the world, the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters. So I know a good deal about insurance and fine art claims, too, which gives me a unique advantage over any dealer you'll find in the UK. And if that's not enough, I also have a law Degree and qualified as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators so I am quite familair with dispute resolution matters both in and out of Court.

I much prefer to see a clock or barometer 'in the flesh' so that I can examine every aspect, looking for originality, repair work, maker and origin. Insurers will have much greater respect for a Valuation based on first hand examination so if I am already working on your clock to repair or restore it, and you'd like a written Valuation for Insurance on completion, please ask before arranging collection.

I charge a flat fee of £20 per Insurance Valuation up to £2,000 (plus £5 per £1,000 thereafter) and for that you'll receive a paper document (not an emailed pdf) with a clear and detailed description of the item, commentary on the maker and the movement, incorporating a colour photograph for identification and bearing the Horologica red wax seal for proof of authenticity and originality. If I am not working on the item already and you cannot bring it to me, then it's an additional £10 plus mileage; travelling is charged at £0.60 per mile round trip (up to a 25 mile radius of Billericay). If you need a duplicate copy to send your insurers or brokers, they're £5.00 each.

Probate valuations are slightly more expensive, starting at £30 because the values are that much lower but they still take the same amount of time and research.

To help those owners living too far away to bring their clock or barometer to me for examination or repair, I also offer approximate valuations based on photographs and descriptions provided that they are sufficiently detailed and plentiful, and that you can provide more images when I ask for them. The fee is the same and you'll receive the same authenticated document but making it clear that I have not seen the item first hand. On the same basis I can also help with post-loss valuations if you need to make a claim and have no idea of value but remember that it is just a guide and that Insurers will bear in mind that the item has not been physically examined, so I limit this service to clocks under £2,000 in value.

Please don't ask me to backdate it or say I've seen it if I haven't, because I won't.

 

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