How do I set the time on my clock?

Antique (pre-World War II) Clocks:
To set the clock's time, turn the minute hand in a clockwise direction, pausing at each hour and quarter hour to let the clock chime.  The minute hand on many antique clocks should not be turned backward (counter-clockwise) past either the “6” or “12.” Moving the minute hand backward, if the time is within five minutes of striking, may cause the clock to strike.  If this occurs, the strike may get out of sequence and the clock will strike the wrong number of times for each hour or quarter hour.

Clocks made after World War II
The time on post-World War II clocks can usually be set by moving the minute hand either clockwise or counter-clockwise. If you move the minute hand counter-clockwise, the clock will take up to an hour to re-sequence its chimes.  While it is re-sequencing itself, the clock will not strike the quarter hours. Once the minute hand passes the top of the hour ("12") it should chime correctly again.