I know what you are talking Angel and have similar stories many times, but I don't know any actual cases. I am not sure if it is something like an urban myth that this actually happens.
Isn't there a song that includes this type of tale,
"My Grandfathers clock was to tale for the shelf so it stood XXX years on the floor"
"xxx years without faltering, tick tock, tick tock, .........but it stopped short, never to go again when the old man died".
I can't remember the lyrics but it's something like the above.