The cost of a replacement clock is ludicrous and a difficult repair given the design, the Smeg representative said that they all do that because the Australian power system fluctuates so much ... I was in the IEEE for nearly 20 years and that comment is absolutely incorrect. I suspect that the problem is moisture build-up - if it was power fluctuations the thing would not work at all ... Our grill seal is saggy and needs replacing ... I complained publicly about the rust problem and they replaced all the doors at the front of the cooker ... here's the email of the people who have supplied parts to me in Perth [email protected] - I was told never to use spray and wipe on the enamel .... it is impossible to keep clean with hot water only, especially if you actually cook food (as opposed to reheating stuff). Overall I would say that I am disappointed in the cooker, it looks the part but the build quality is average and the design could be much improved e.g. being able to turn half the grill to save energy. We have an old wood burning Stanley Stove and the enamel on that is much better quality than our Smeg cooker - it is rust free too :) I think that AEG are a better brand but I would do a lot more research before committing to buy.