Where is the best place to purchase a discount grandfather clock, whether it is a new Howard Miller Grandfather Clock or a special antique grandfather clock?

We feel we know the answer, because it is from the source for all the best information and prices relating to grandfather clocks, which is 1-800-4CLOCKS.

1-800-4CLOCKS.com las a lowest priceg guarantee posted and explained on their website, which should give internet shoppers especially a high level of comfort.  They are also members of the bteer Business Bureau in good standing, as well as being part of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce community.

The brands that are carried are only those of the highest quality, NOT any of the many cheaply made imports now flooding all shopping channels, from some nice department stores to all across the internet, including cheap grandfather clock kits, which, like the others, frequently have many plastic parts and in some cases require diffcult assembly of in our view very cheaply made parts.

Most all of our mechanical grandfather clocks have high-end German made grandfather clock movements, and have solis wood cases generally made either in the USA or Germany.

So if you are serious about buying a high quality grandfather clock, you should check out www.1-800-4CLOCKS.com.  In the summertime, grandfather clocks are common high-end gifts to couples getting married, as well as graduation present, special birthday presents, and gifts for that hard to find milestone wedding anniversary gift.

Hey, it’s what we do.  And love doing it!

As retailers and etailers of grandfather clocks, we notice peaks and valleys in the purchase of grandfather clocks.  One clear trend we have noticed at 1-800-4CLOCKS is that more and more individuals are buying grandfather clocks as presents for themselves, for a wedding gift almost always for a child and there soon-to-be new son-in-law and daughter-in-law.  We also see many grandparents ordering a grandfather clocks as wedding presents for their grandchildren, one frequently similar to “the one” in the family.

People reognize the high-end grandfather clocks we sell as being of family heirloom quality, and our customers are not disappointed almost at any time.

A great trend is grandchildren with the means and desire to purchase traditional high-end grandfather clocks, usually in a traditional grandfather clock style, for their grandparents or, more commonly, their parents.  Generally this is gifting done to mark either a special wedding anniversary milestone gift or a grandfather clock as a birthday gift.

Mechanical, cable-driven grandfather clocks are the most popular, and are also the best clocks.

We are evn seeing this increasing trend cross-border and cross-continent, with orders from Canada, Western Europe, and the Far and Middle East for clocks being ordered for this very reason.

We once had a blog post titled something close to “This is not your grandfather’s grandfather clock.” Well, maybe we were wrong about that one.

In the past, this grandfather clocks blog has shown that the White House has been home to a Grandfather Clock, perhaps well over a hundred years.  From looking at the latest issue of Time Magazine, we were pleased to see that not only is there the grandfather clock in the Oval Office, but there is also another one in President Obama’s Private Office as well, shown in a photo with him sitting behind a desk with a painting of former President Ulysses S Grant in the background.

This strongly suggests that The White House has been home to grandfather clocks for well over a 100 years.  And that the President’s have always seen fit to keep these clock masterpieces on display throughout the generations.

Howard Miller Clocks currently has makes Limited Editions of Presidential Grandfather Clocks, with grandfather clocks named for Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy (sold out), and we believe Gerald Ford being the most recent introduction.

We would vote for a Barack Obama limited edition grandfather clock to be made, if not by Howard Miller, then by another major clocks manufacturer.  Perhaps if over time no one fills this need, then perhaps 1-800-4CLOCKS will manufacture this clock ourselves.  Any potential buyers out there? Let us know!

Grandfather Clocks in White House Obama's Private Office Ulysses S Grant Painting

As no office should be without a grandfather clock, the White House Oval Office also proudly displays a grandfather clock all the time, and has through the administrations of many Presidents.  Here below is are photos of grandfather clocks hard at work in the Oval Office with President Obama and others.

President Obama Chief of Staff and grandfather clock on St Patricks Day

Sasha Obama admiring grandfather clock while being praised by President Obama

In a post on this blog shortly after the November Presidential General Election, we featured a picture of then-President Bush talking to President-Elect Obama from the Oval Office, with a historical White House clock in the background.

After President Barack Obama took office on January 20, the pictures of him working in the Oval Office on the first day of his new Presidency show that VERY SAME Grandfather Clock in the background.  You can see the 2 pictures below.  One thing for sure we can conclude this time, is that whether a Democrat or Republican or somewhere in-between, or whether we are in “post-partisan” politics now or not, American Presidents still have great taste in grandfather clocks!

President Obama and Rahm Emanuel on Day 1 in Oval Office with Prized Grandfather Clock

Now Ex-President Bush and grandfathers clock call Now President Obama

President Bush and grandfather clock call President-Elect Obama on Election night offering congratulations

We would also like to thank one of our blog readers for posting history about this grandfather clock, which we are repeating here for convenience purposes:

From Answer.com article on the Oval Office: [courtesy of K. Nixon]
“A large case clock, commonly called a grandfather clock, built in Boston by John and Thomas Seymour, c. 1795-1805, stands in the northeast portion of the room.”

Grandfather clocks are both cool or hot, depending upon one’s terminology, and we have a great grandfather clocks selection at 1-800-4CLOCKS.

Grandfather clocks sound so stately and yet essentially innocuous.  It is amazing how many times we hear from our customers that when a loved one from an older generation passed on, how disappointed individuals can be by not being the ones to either be the designated recipient of a grandfather clock.  Or sometimes their sibling or another relative entirely either just got to the place first, or it was the farthest thing from their mind at the time of a loss of a loved one.  And those same people, either months or years or sometimes decades later feel as though they are missing, at least directly, and sometimes it manifests itself as missing the sight and sounds and memories, and a part of their physical family history.

Many grandfather clock shoppers are trying to fill in that void, and at the same time perhaps get a clock that while it may be antique looking in nature, more closely resembles their more modern home decor and they can also benefit from some of the more modern features, such as automatic nighttime shutoff, or choice of more chimes than were available on the clock they grew up with, or remembered from visiting grandma and grandpa.

While major family feuds are not something we hear about a lot, and only occasionally, the loss and regret generally seems to seep in over the years, frequently as individuals are going through the same stages as parents that they did as children.

The good news is that people can generally almost always find a clock that resembles closely the grandfather clock they grew up with, and then have the choice of picking that one, another one with perhaps a different design, and it will still bring them the same pleasure.

As a clocks retailer, it is genuinely uplifting when we can help people fill a void in one’s life and, as we have been told several times, feel like they have a true home once again.

The vast majority of high-end mechanical grandfather clocks, whether they have cable driven movements or the chain driven movement type, have 8 day movements.  This means the movements, when fully wound, will run for eight days.  This is true for Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks, Hermle Floor Clocks, the Ridgeway Grandfather Clock Collection, Bulova Grandfather Clocks, and the made-to-order Kieninger Grandfather Clock Collection.

One question we are asked with some regularity is whether a grandfather clock can be damaged if it is allowed to wind down completely, or if it is stopped - by stopping the pendulum - while the weights are, say, halfway down.  The short answer is no, this should not hurt the mechanism of one’s grandfather clock.  The grandfather clocks are built to both withstand the pressure of the weights if they are partially down or fully down.  When winding a chain-driven clock, it is important, as it would be all the time, not to pull the chains too hard so that the weights go higher than they should.  But this would not be any different whether the chains are being pulled up after 7 days or after the clock has stopped and fully wound down after eight days.

Many super high quality grandfather clocks in fine condition that have been owned by the person writing this post have been left more or less as decorative pieces vs. timekeepers and chimers, in some cases for years, and these floor clocks are no worse for the wear, or perhaps the lack of wear!

Grandfather clock maintenance is of course still critical, with most experts recommending a cleaning and oiling at least every 3 years, as the oil will tend to dry out over time and cause more wear on the internal mechanism if it is not sufficiently lubricated.

Oh, and to start your grandfather clock up again if it has stopped (aside from any necessary winding, of course), don’t forget to move the pendulum on your mechanical grandfather clock with gentle nudges or pushes or swings from each side until you hear it ticking away and can hear a consistent ticking sound, known in the trade as being “in beat”.

Wishing all clock collectors, admirers, and everone else in the world a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2009!

In modern times, at least in most New Year’s celebrations witnessed by the author of this blog post, people who are indoors generally huddle around the television set as midnight is approaching.  Nowadays, many may be watching giant LCD screens or plasma or HDTVs, but the feelings are similar whether watching a 10 year old flat panel television, or a more dare I say primitive TV that might be 15 or 20 or so years old.  Could be cable, satellite, or the old fashioned analog signals (last year for that!) streaming and picked up through the air.

Most sets watch the change in time by watching as other huge crowds assemble in places like Times Square in New York, not far from our very own clocks Store.  One can also witness celebrations going on in different parts of the USA and different parts of the world.  And it is a holiday with such anticipation and high expectations placed by individuals on themselves.  A time for reflection.  A time to think about the future.

Now pretend you are going back 100 years in a time machine.  No television.  No electronics, period (if you are younger than 20 and reading this, you may want to take a deep breath right now ……).  So how might you celebrate the ringing in of the New Year?  Not unlikely is that many families probably celebrated the New Year coming in and the passage of the old one looking at a grandfather clock.  It is not hard to imagine families around the country and around the world, in their own homes or with others, ringing in the New York as the grandfather clocks were striking 12.

Even before grandfather clocks were first introduced in the mid 1600s, and at that time owned only by the most wealthy and powerful individuals of that era, people had smaller timekeepers which would have helped them know when to shout for joy, blow horns, kiss, or whatever the conventions of the time dictated.

When sundials were used before, I wonder exactly how New Years were celebrated in different eras in diffirent cultures.  Maybe in another blog post we will research and report on that.

My personal favorite way to spend New Years is to be at the movies with a loved one(s), and not even know exactly when midnight comes and goes.  Different, I know.

When working at your Toshiba laptop, or using your Apple iPhone, one might legitimately wonder just why would I need a grandfather clock in my home to tell time.

The short answer, which has been true since the advent of the wristwatch in the early 1900s, is that grandfather clocks are a form of, depending upon one’s perspective, art, tradition, or high quality home furnishings.  For this reason, grandfather clocks, also known as Floor Clocks and tallcase clocks, are here to stay!

They will continue to complement the homes and offices of today and the future as works of art, a means of carrying on a company or family tradition, or as ways of furnishing homes and offices around the world.

New forms of grandfather clocks will no doubt continue to be introduced, utilizing the latest in technology, such as atomic time and light projection and solar energy.  Some interesting examples of the ways new thinking and new technologies can help new design to emerge is the reasonably recent introduction of the Howard Miller Oasis Waterfall Grandfather Clock.  Who would have ever imagined a grandfather clock with a built-in waterfall?

Howard Miller Oasis Waterfall Grandfather Clock Model 615-062

Another trend we are seeing is the introduction of “dirt-cheap” grandfather clocks, most all likely made in the Far East, which are likely to leave many grandfather clocks discount shoppers mightily disappointed with their purchases.  From those we have seen, not only is using the word “wood” many times a stretch, but assembly may be required, and the end result will be a featherweight clock with an at best mediocre movement.

Who was it who said “Caveat emptor, baby”?

Not too late into the night of November 4, 2008, and shortly after Senator John McCain conceded defeat, President George W Bush called the newly victorious Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him on his amazingly historic win and new status as President-Elect of the United States of America.  Note the integral role the White House Oval Office Grandfather Clock is playing!

President Bush and grandfather clock call President-Elect Obama on Election night offering congratulations

As can be seen time and time again, whenever truly important things happen in history, grandfather clocks may be nearby.  See an actual picture below of President George W Bush calling to congratulate President-Elect Obama on his timely (and called early in the evening) victory.

What do you think are the odds that Bush was telling Obama about this GREAT new grandfather clock timepiece  he was about to have in his new Oval Office.  Well, one could always dream … or would it be a nightmare?

If that Grandfather Clock could talk, I bet it would have some mighty interesting stories to tell!  They’ve had books on many a White House dog, maybe now is the time to consider a book from the perspective of this grandfather clock.  Does it have it name?  Know the maker?  We don’t know, and have never researched the clock. It looks early American to us, and would be a fitting fixture as such in the White House.

If only clocks could talk.  This one would have MANY MANY 15 minutes of fame!

I was in Philadelphia recently where I was able to tour the many spots synonymous with the birth of our nation – Independence Hall where they signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, Carpenter’s Hall that hosted the first Continental Congress, and what was once the home of Benjamin Franklin – writer, printer, inventor, scientist, politician, and diplomat. In touring through the museum dedicated to Franklin, I was amazed to see that they had in their possession many of the items that were actually in his home – from pieces of furniture to some of his many inventions that he crafted throughout his lifetime.

One of the items that I was most drawn to was a stunning grandfather clock – called a tall case clock at that time. Handcrafted for Franklin in 1750 it was made by Edward Duffield – a member of Franklin’s Junto Society; a group of gentlemen that met on a regular basis to discuss ways to improve life in Philadelphia.

What struck me was the high quality of this grandfather clock and the fact that it was in such spectacular condition. Clearly it had been lovingly restored and well maintained by those in charge of gathering these historic relics. But even so it was still just as beautiful as I imagined it was standing in Benjamin Franklin’s home.

There are few pieces like grandfather clocks – that span the history of this country so completely. Today’s grandfather clocks are the modern versions of those simple – yet glorious – early designs. But we know that they will represent yet another time in history when grandfather clocks were a part of the décor of our homes.