Trevor Herbstreit has repaired, designed and made some extremely special timepieces over the years.

The results are rewarding in themselves. But to be recognised internationally at one of the biggest time craft competitions in the world is a true honour and Trevor couldn’t be happier with his achievement.

Owner operator of Bairnsdale Clocks, in Dalmahoy Street, Bairnsdale, Trevor has been repairing clocks for nearly 30 years, beginning in the industry with Bairnsdale Clocks when it was owned by David Raeburn and located at the top end of Bairnsdale. He’s been making clocks for about 20 years.

“I’d been working with antique clocks, and repairing clocks, for years and I got to the point where I became more interested in actually making them,” Trevor said.

His creations are unique, all the working parts made by him.

“When I first started making clocks I would take parts from other clocks, but then once I got the special machinery I started to make them all,” he said.

Trevor said a lot of his skill is self taught, and there is a lot of trial and error to get a timepiece just right.

“There only has to be a small thing not quite right, like a screw that’s a little too tight or loose, and it can really affect the workings,” he said.

A clock he has dubbed the Scimitar Skeleton Clock due to the resemblance of the pendulum shape to the curved blade sabre originating in the Middle East, took around two and a half years to make, and while he doubts he would ever get back the value of the time and money sunk into it, the piece did reward him with a first place and a highly commended at the 2018 Crafts Competition, which was held last July in York, Pennsylvania (USA).

“It took me around two and a half years, in between the other jobs at work,” Trevor said.

“It’s a prototype and I’ve since made two more using different wood, but the design is the same.”

And these only took about a year each to make.

“When I was cutting the pieces for the first clock I made a couple of some of them, so that saved time with the second and third ones,” he said.

Among the woods Trevor has used are apricot tree, Dargo walnut, Queensland walnut and red gum for the cases.

While the competition was held in the US, it was fortunate that Trevor did not have to consider transporting the large clock overseas to be a part of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors’ (NAWCC) Horological Craft Contest. (Horology is the study of the measurement of time).

“I sent a heap of pictures of me making the clock, of the pieces and the final piece. And a video to show that it worked,” he said.

He entered his Scimitar clock in two of the possible 27 classes of the competition and found success in both.

“In the single-train clock movement – metal, it received an honourable mention, and then in the experimental timepiece designs I won first place,” Trevor said.

It was the first time he had entered a NAWCC contest.

“Sometimes there’ll be Australian regional competitions but this is the first international one I’ ve entered,” he said.

“I don’t know if the NAWCC is the biggest, but it’s certainly one of the biggest competitions in the world.”

Entries were received from across America, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, so to come away with a win is quite a thrill for Trevor, whose passion is evident as he speaks of clock making.

In his report on the 2018 contest and his description of the scimitar clock, William ‘Bill’ Slough wrote in NAWCC’s journal, Watch & Clock Bulletin, “As a completed item mounted in its finely crafted, yet simplistically designed case, it is apparent that it would display well in homes or businesses of many genres including public spaces. Its pleasing forms and gentle motion mesmerise those who gaze upon it”.

The weight of the scimitar clock, which is about two-and-a-half kilos, is wound about once a week, and while the straighter the pendulum the more accurate a clock generally is, Trevor says the curved scimitar pendulum has had little effect.

“They are quite accurate, perhaps only losing a minute a week,” he said.

“They’re not precision pieces. They’re functional, but my main aim is that they are aesthetically pleasing.”

Both decorative and practical, dotting the scimitar clock are spots of haematite.

“It works as dust covers for the little movements.

“If I didn’t cover them dust could get in and cause problems, so the haematite fixes that, and it looks nice,” Trevor said.

“I might try some other gem or precious stone, maybe opal, in the next one. But if acustomer orders one they could pretty much have whatever they like.”

Other clocks Trevor has made over the years are proudly displayed in cabinets in the Dalmahoy Street shopfront.

“I make all the parts; the wheels, the gears” he said.

“I use an old pantograph, not CNC (computer numerical control), which they tend to use these days.

“It’ s not quality. Modern machinery, but it’ s good.

“There’s a lot of prototyping. Things have to work and also look right. I roughly cut it out in MDF and play around with what looks best and then go from there to cut out all the brass pieces.

Asked what would be his favourite part of clock making Trevor laughs and says, “it’s definitely not polishing!”

“There are a lot of parts and it’s very time consuming,” he said.

“You have to be patient. It’s the sort of thing where I’ll do a bit and then put it aside and come back to it later. But it’s got to be done.”

The hundreds of hours that go into each of Trevor’s pieces result in timepieces that are exquisite and a joy to view.

Visit Bairnsdale Clocks to see Trevor’ s award-winning scimitar skeleton clocks and many of his other pieces along with antique beauties and repairs.