Meet the Clockmaker Behind Horace Whitlock
"More than 25 years repairing mechanical clocks taught me that clock owners don't just need products—they need someone they can trust."
If you're trusting us with the care of your mechanical clock, I think you deserve to know who you're buying from.
My name is Bob Bartow, and for more than 25 years I made my living repairing mechanical clocks.
For more than 25 years I earned my living repairing mechanical clocks. Every day I worked on grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantel clocks, and cuckoo clocks—first in our repair shop and later in customers' homes throughout our service area.
During those years I worked on thousands of mechanical clocks.
Every pivot, every worn bushing, every dried bearing and every failed movement taught another lesson.
Over time patterns began to appear.
I saw what worked
I saw what failed
and what happened when the wrong oils or poor advice were used on fine mechanical movements.
Those years shaped everything Horace Whitlock has become.
They taught me that the right lubricant can add years to the life of a movement—and that the wrong one can quietly shorten it.
Horace Whitlock wasn't created in a boardroom.
It wasn't built by marketers searching for another product to sell.
It grew out of decades spent at a clockmaker's bench, solving real problems for real clock owners.
Every product we develop reflects the same standards I relied on while caring for thousands of mechanical clocks over more than twenty-five years.
Welcome to Horace Whitlock.
I'm glad you're here.
After all these years, one thing has never changed.
I still enjoy sitting at a workbench with a movement in front of me just as much today as when I repaired my very first clock.
Mechanical clocks have a way of slowing the world down.
They remind us that careful hands, patience, and good craftsmanship still matter.
Today my work looks different than it once did.
Instead of spending every day traveling from home to home repairing clocks, I now spend my time developing products, writing guides, filming educational videos, and helping clock owners around the world care for their own mechanical clocks.
In many ways, I'm still doing the same work I've always loved—just from a different workbench.
That's the spirit I hope you'll find in everything we make.
The Horace Whitlock Philosophy
At Horace Whitlock, we believe every mechanical movement deserves to be cared for with the same attention and respect that went into building it.
Whether it's a grandfather clock, a cuckoo clock, a mantel clock, or any other precision mechanical device, proper lubrication is one of the simplest ways to protect years of craftsmanship.
We believe precision mechanisms deserve lubricants designed specifically for their needs. And we don't believe good maintenance should be surrounded by confusion or misinformation. Instead, we believe in understanding how mechanical movements work, using the right lubricant in the right place, and sharing the knowledge that helps people care for the things they value.
Everything we develop—from specialty lubricants to educational guides—is built around one simple goal:
" To help preserve fine mechanical movements for generations to come "
How We Help
Clock Owners
Owning a mechanical clock shouldn't feel confusing or intimidating.
Whether you've just inherited your first grandfather clock or have cared for clocks for decades, our goal is to make reliable information easy to find and easy to understand.
At Horace Whitlock, we believe education is just as important as the products themselves.
That's why we continue to create resources that help owners care for their clocks with confidence.
Whether you're looking for answers, learning a new skill, or searching for the right lubricant, we're here to help.
Here's what you'll find at Horace Whitlock
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Professional specialty lubricants developed for mechanical clocks.
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Step-by-step maintenance guides.
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Books and downloadable resources.
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Educational videos from the workbench.
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Troubleshooting articles.
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The Clockmaker's Journal—stories and lessons gathered over decades of repair work.
Our hope is simple:
To become a trusted resource you'll return to whenever your clock needs care
From the Workbench
"Knowledge is the first tool every clock owner should own."
