My ethos on restoration is simple; to bring the clock back to its original condition as it would have been when first made, whilst retaining any desirable aging and patina where possible.   

Faults, damage, heavy scratching and tarnish/over oxidisation to casing should not be considered as desirable aging.  Patina on bare brass is not the same as wood as metal does not age in the same way and often just oxidises and tarnishes to an undesirable dull brown.  

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Minor damage to glasses such a small edge and corner chips and light scratches is tolerable but any significant damage and the glass should be replaced.  

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All mechanical work should be fully resorted to working condition.

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Gilt-brass cases often will not tarnish like bare brass and will show a nicer patina with speckling and different colour tones and this should be retained.   Some gilt cases have worn down over time due to excessive cleaning and damage and so a careful assesment should be undertaken to the extend of the case restoration and cleaning.   On bare brass I like to see some pitting and slight colour variations but otherwise should be polished back to a bright tone which will soften over time.  On Gilt brass very little cleaning should be undertaken only with mild cleaning fluids to removed old oils, dirt and grime.  

More modern vintage clocks were often lacquered and some were electro-plated these can be more difficult to determine the best course of action.  If the lacquer is in excellent condition then a light clean is sufficient.  If the lacquer has deteriorated this can look unsightly and as long as the case is brass and not plated then laquer should be removed and full re polish with protection applied.

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If the case is gold plated this is more difficult as any aggressive cleaning will remove the plating and expose the bare silver metal, so on plated cases very little can be done unless the case is re-plated which is an option but can be expensive.  

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Cleaning methods  vary depending  on the material and cleaning required from mild soapy distilled water,  spirits/alcohols  to more aggressive cleaners such ammoniated fluid and metal cleaners.

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This is your Project description. A brief summary can help visitors understand the context of your work. Click on "Edit Text" or double click on the text box to start.