This clock was purchased second hand by my grandmother from a door to door peddler in the 1920's. It hung in their living room while I was growing up and I have fond memories of my grandfather winding it as part of his Saturday night ritual. When they moved in with my mother, the clock hung in the living room there.
Some time after that my mother decided the brass numbers on the clock were dull and should be polished. Unfortunately, the numbers were only plated and this polishing caused them to quickly rust.
In its newly decrepit condition, it was judged less than desirable in the living room so my wife and I volunteered to give it a home in about 1970. I tried to have the numbers re-plated but the shop which attempted this gave up on it due to the heavy rust (losing one of the "1" digits in the process).
Eventually, I decided to make new numbers. I located a sheet of 64 thou brass and spent over 15 hours tracing the old numbers, then drilling, nibbling and filing a new set of numbers. It has hung in our living room for the last 49 years, sounding the hours for us as it did for my grand parents.
Interestingly, we visited the clock museum in Bristol, CT (only an hour away) several years ago and saw a clock exactly like this one. The numbers on their clock had apparently rusted also so they painted them with copper paint. Although my repair isn't as authentic, I prefer the appearance of my solution.
This clock's case was made by National Clock of Chicago with a movement from Sessions of Forrestville, CT. The works are stamped 8-09 which likely means August 1909. Over the years I've oiled it several times and bushed a few of the pivots but other than that, it just keeps on tickin'.