The Star Ferry clock could not be made to run again if it was dismantled without expert supervision, the clock-making company that maintains London's iconic Big Ben said yesterday.
Melvyn Lee, director of Thwaites and Reed, said although the Star Ferry clock was of a generic flatbed design, it was made individually and customised to fit into the Star Ferry clock tower, making it unique.
'If the clock is removed by clockmakers, it can be put back,' Mr Lee said from England. 'If it is removed by unskilled people, it would be more difficult and there could be irreversible damage to parts.
'[The parts] would need to be disconnected in a certain sequence and will need to go back into the replica tower in the mirror sequence.'
Expert technicians were also needed because 'tiny, subjective adjustments on the dimensions' needed to be made when reassembling to ensure the clock would run.
Mr Lee said many of the parts, while not unusual for clockmakers, would have to be handmade if there was a need to replace them.
