Antonio the owner of Surrey Time has come from a long line of horologists and at a very early age he first started his horological career in the North of Portugal in Santa Maria Feira near the town of Porto. In 2006 he was commissioned to restore the town hall clock 'Relogio Camara Municipal de Barcelos' which was a huge undertaking and awarded him an engraved plaque which can be seen on the case of the clock movement. Please scroll down for a slideshow and photos of the restoration work.
In 2011 Antonio came over to the United Kingdom to work for the prestigious Campbell & Archard ( Derek Roberts Antiques ) and continued here until 2017 when the business relocated. Antonio continues to provide in house specialist work for this company and has since started his own business. With a great passion for all mechanical movements Antonio takes the utmost of pride in his work. All work is carried out by hand using sympathetic techniques, so as to protect and conserve the historical importance of each timepiece. Having a passion for antique clocks and watches has earned him a reputation for his work which surpasses that of many others.
Relogio Camara Municipal de Barcelos
In 2006 Antonio had been commissioned to restore the clock in the town hall at Barcelos, near Porto, Portugal. The whole building had deteriorated over the years including its clock which had been supplied and installed by Andrade Mello of 234, Rua do Mousinho da Silveira, Porto in August 1927. The clock had been made by L.Terraillon & Company, Perrigny (Jura). As the town hall had undergone several years worth of renovation it was now time for the clock to be restored and plans were duly drawn up. This project took some time to complete. Many parts had to be remade and the entire movement had to be relocated to another room to allow for public viewing.
As you will see , the town hall has two clock dials . The movement controls both of these and in addition there are several wall clocks inside the building which are all connected to the movement via steel cable, pulleys and wheels.
