As we near the end of the first decade of this millennium, it is as good a time as any to look back over the last decade in horology, and an especially good time to look forward to 2010 with the coming of the New Year.  The last decade has seen the rise of some great new grandfather clocks features, and the introduction of many new styles of clocks, especially among Contemporary Grandfather Clocks.

Aside from grandfather clocks features such as auto night shut-off and illuminated dials, there has also been the introduction of what we at 1-800-4CLOCKS would consider to be the equivalent quality of disposable grandfather clocks by no-name makers that have just started to flood the market in the last couple of years.  What is more notable, is that several of the most respected discount retailers have started to carry these, pardon the expression, pieces of junk.  We became more and more aware of them when individuals are calling and wanting to know how to get them running, only to be told we never even heard of that grandfather clocks “brand”, frequently named so that it sounds like an established brand.  Frequently, plastic and plywood and batteries are the key ingredients in these generally very inexpensive, and surely cheap, grandfather clock imitations, in our view.  Some even have the customer doing grandfather clocks assembly when they did not realize that was even part of the plan.

Replicas and reproductions of great clocks are nothing new, and by themselves are not indicative of inferior grandfather clocks quality.  Brand like Howard Miller grandfather clocks, Hermle grandfather clocks, Bulova’s grandfather clock collection, along with Ridgeway and Kieninger still offer super-high quality at a good value.  Solid wood cabinetry and mechanical grandfather clock movements made in Germany.   Surely heirloom quality timepieces, which make special wedding and spectacular anniversary gifts, not to mention special birthday gifts and great presents for almost any occasion.

We hope that customers will realize the difference between quality and disposable grandfather clocks.  2009, and no doubt coming at the same time as The Great Recession, seemed to us to be the peak of the plastic plywood battery driven grandfather clocks which most likely won’t make it to see the year 2015 — as far away as that may seem — much less be around for future generations as heirloom quality gifts.

Happy Holidays and quality affordable grandfather clocks to all, and to all a goodnight!

We would suggest the following 3 resources:

1. 1. Look on this page on our website to see if you can find an answer to your question(s): just click on -> http://www.1-800-4clocks.com/page/CLOCKS/ClockFAQ
2. 2. You can locate a Howard Miller Authorized Service Center local to you here -> http://cql.howardmiller.com/HM/ServiceCenterLocator.aspx. NOTE that all mechanical Howard Miller clocks had Hermle movements in them until about 5 years ago, and that most any if not all of these Service Centers should be able to work on any Hermle Clock.  This Service Center Network is a great resource, and we have had an excellent experiences working with Service Centers around the Country (and also Canada) using this Service Center Network.  Probably at least half of these Service Centers can work on antique clocks too, as well as other Brands of Clocks!!!!
3. 3. You can order Hermle (and other) Parts (e.g. movements, weights, pendulum, keys, etc.) from the following 2 suppliers -> www.BlackForestImports.com and www.Merritts.com.  While we have no relationship to them whatsoever, we personally have had good results working with them ourselves.  Their contact information is available on each of the noted  websites.  We would most definitely recommend calling them rather than attempting to order from their websites (which would likely be a fruitless effort).

Howard Miller History or Howard Miller Clocks History.

Did you know that Howard Miller was the son of a man named Herman Miller, whose super high quality furniture Company bore his name and still does this day.  Howard Miller decided he wanted to make his own mark on the world, and succeeded, especially in regard to grandfather clocks.  This subject comes up often with visitors to our Clocks Stores!

Herman Miller’s and Howard Miller’s Factories are just across the street from each other in Zeeland, Michigan.  Many of our customer are VERY surprised when this point comes up.  Herman Miller actually produced clocks in small quantities before the Howard Miller brand was born.  We have one great banjo clock from this period.  We believe these clocks to be highly collectible!

Incomparable workmanship. Unsurpassed quality. A quest for perfection. It’s what Howard C. Miller insisted on when he founded the company back in 1926, at the age of 21.

Even then, Howard Miller understood the need to create products that would be steeped in quality and value. He expected nothing less than the best. And it was only under those strict conditions that he allowed his name to grace every clock manufactured at our sprawling facility in Zeeland, Michigan.

Howard Miller was schooled in the fine art of clockmaking by his father, Herman, in the Black Forest region of Germany. Howard developed into a visionary whose keen sense of innovation spawned a tradition of excellence that has been uncompromised through three generations.

While the early years focused on the manufacture of chiming wall and mantel clocks, Howard Miller also produced trend-setting avant garde clocks that stand today in collectors’ galleries. During World War II, Howard Miller joined forces with the Ford Motor Co. to produce anti-aircraft covers. In the 1960s, the company turned its attention to grandfather clocks, eventually earning the company the title of “World’s Largest Grandfather Clock Manufacturer.”

In 1989, Howard Miller began creating collectors cabinets with the same attention to detail and craftsmanship inherent in their clockmaking.

Fashioned from glass and hardwoods, the cabinets are ideal for displaying heirlooms, plates, glassware and other collectibles.

As part of the company’s continuing effort to bring customers only the best in handcrafted products, Howard Miller recently acquired three companies:

The Hekman Furniture Company produces a strong cadre of carefully sculpted hardwood pieces that range from 18th and 19th Century reproductions, to contemporary products featuring fine metals and exotic woods. The Woodmark Company makes fine upholstered pieces. And the exquisite movement in many clocks we offer is made by Old World craftsmen employed by the Kieninger Company of Germany.

While Howard Miller products might once have been primarily considered as gifts for weddings, anniversaries and retirements, the company’s expanded line of offerings is enticing more and more buyers who simply desire quality timepieces and furniture in their homes and businesses — no occasion required.

Howard Miller offers hundreds of items to complement any decor ranging from portable alarm clocks to desk sets to wall and mantel clocks to collectors cabinets to limited edition grandfather clocks. And in price ranges that may surprise you – from $5 to $15,000.

No matter the price of the purchase, you have the same assurance that Howard C. Miller provided when he began offering clocks more than 70 years ago:

That quality be reflected both in the products we create, and in the people whose artistic talents we rely on to manufacture them.

The legacy left by Howard C. Miller isn’t an easy one to emulate. But it’s the only way we know of doing business. Incomparable workmanship.

Unsurpassed quality. A quest for perfection.  1-800-4CLOCKS.com is proud to partner with Howard Miller Clocks in bringing the finest howard miller grandfather clocks, howard miller wall clocks, howard miller mantel clocks, atomic clocks and so much more to the public at large.

We are proud to be a Howard Miller Authorized Dealer!

Antique Grandfather Clocks offer a piece of history.  Not only the history of time and timekeeping, but also a physical connection to the past.  Heirloom quality grandfather clocks can be passed from generation to generation, and grandfather clock owners can take great pride and comfort  in knowing that their grandfather clock is like a living connection spanning, potentially, centuries.

If you are not the lucky beneficiary of a high quality antique grandfather clock, and you are shopping for GrandfatherClocks, one might want to consider whether it is worthwhile to purchase an antique grandfather clock or whether to buy a new one from one of the high-end clock makers like Howard Miller Clocks, Hermle Clocks, Ridgeway Clocks, or Bulova Clocks.  Each approach has its pros and cons, and in many cases individual timepiece and clock collectors may have their wants and needs based on exogenous factors.

Antique GrandfatherClocks clocks have the advantage, assuming the clocks are all original, of being highly collectible, and potentially having a rich history themselves.  For example, one grandfather clock near me right now was special ordered from Tiffany & Company by the Founder of Coca Cola as a gift to his daughter.  The daughter lived in a well known hotel in her later years, and allowed the clock to be in the Lobby of a well known Atlanta hotel for many years.  Upon her death, she bequeathed the clock to a Church, which had it in its rectory for many many years.  In recent years, the Church decided for whatever reason that it wanted to sell this grandfather clock, and the lucky buyer of this historic grandfather clock happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Now could any new grandfather clock have a story behind it like that?

So why would any grandfather clocks buyer think about buying a new grandfather clock instead of an antique grandfather clock.  The reasons are many and varied, especially in this season where individuals are looking avidly for grandfather clocks discounts and for a grandfather clocks sale.  To purchase an antique grandfather clock, a buyer really needs to know what he or she is doing, or there is a high likelihood one may either overspend in general on a clock, or more likely, not get what they really think they are getting.  Reproductions of grandfather clocks or outright counterfeits are not that unusual.  Clocks that are not all original, but rather parts of different clocks put together as one, known as marriages, can make a grandfather clock relatively worthless, or at least devalued to a small fraction of its monetary worth otherwise, from a collectibility standpoint.

Also, in terms of the features of a clock, not to mention the condition of the clock case and movement, can mean an antique will be significantly more expensive for a grandfather clock purchase for a comparable looking and sounding clock.  Antique grandfather clocks will not have automatic nighttime shutoff, something introduced relatively recently as one of the grandfather clock features.  It is unlikely one will find a triple-chime grandfather clock, unless one is willing to pay 2-3-5+ times the price for a comparable looking clock.  A working moondial, or even having a moonphase that rotates, is a feature on most new grandfather clocks. Having that on an antique grandfather clock will add significantly to the cost.

Want a contemporary grandfather clock?  Well, then your choices are pretty much limited to the newer ones.

Probably the biggest distinction and point to be mindful of when shopping for a grandfather clock is that an antique clock has the potential to be both a money pit and an ongoing headache, with much higher repair and service bills.  This does not even include the fact that there may also be restoration costs and that fact that it is much harder to find someone (one of the reasons it is so much more costly) who can work on antique grandfather clocks.  The potential for wood restoration, where a furniture or cabinetry expert, or possibly someone who works with inlay, may also be an added cost and consume a lot of time.

Any antique clock should be bought recognizing that there is a reasonable chance that it may end up being what we call a project clock, which requires a series of efforts over time with different experts.

Advantages to antique grandfather clocks are they they are general louder, assuming one finds this to be a benefit, and if one gets a good deal on an antique grandfather clock that is the genuine article, it is likely to hold its value better, and also more likely, in our opinion, to increase in value  over time.

Interestingly, when factoring in the above issues, which we don’t think many grandfather clocks shoppers do anyway, the vary large majority of grandfather clock and grandmother clock shoppers tend to go for new clocks, both said that they know they will be working “out of the container” and they no there will be no surprises.  The rich features of the new clocks help too.  And there are more easy choices to go with ones home decor or while doing interior decorating or interior design.

Regardless, there is one common denominator among grandfather clocks shoppers.  A grandfather clocks discount and a grandfather clocks sale is always welcome and sought after by shoppers of all kinds of clocks.  Go figure.

Almost everyone has heard of Fashionistas, and has their own different interpretation of the meaning.  Well, watch out, because a new breed on consumers are emerging who  may do to Grandfather Clocks what Fashionistas have done to the world of fashion.  Anyone care to guess how the grandfather clock of the future might be affected?

A GrandfatherClocks-ionista is a person devoted to grandfather clocks, particularly those that are rare and unique, or very high-end. It is a term used to define a person, whether a serious collector or passionate timepiece shopper, with a penchant for grandfather clocks shopping and a natural flair for combining both traditional and contemporary clocks styles.  In today’s society, being a GrandfatherClocks-ionista is by no means a negative term.

GrandfatherClocksionistas simply look at Grandfather Clocks as Art, and the sense of style they develop along the way is the true masterpiece.  They are very knowledgeable and realistic when it comes to timepiece and horological trends, and mixing home decor and interior decorating and design fashions in with their current tastes in clocks.

GrandfatherClocksionista is the lexical combination of the words GrandfatherClocks, and Sandinista, a Nicaraguan authoritarian political party.  Despite recent trends to make this term more acceptable, it should be noted that while its etymology connotes negative political consequences when used in North America, when combined with another term like the horological Grandfather Clocks, it would take on an air of levity and poking fun at the serious grandfather clocks collector.  People might think of this term as more like the Grandfather Clocks Police when it comes to looking at and commenting upon grandfather clock design and trends in timepieces.

Ultimate, the GrandfatherClocks-ionista is one who believes in the power of Grandfather Clocks and the exalted nature of wall clocks, mantel clocks, atomic clocks, and watches too.  They may know, or at least think they know, all of the major Grandfather Clocks brands such as Howard Miller Clocks, Bulova Grandfather Clocks, the Ridgeway Grandfather Clock Collection, and Hermle Floor Clocks.  And also a lot about antique grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks too.

We will advise as we see this trend increasing or tapering off.  Let us know what you see and hear any time about clocks as it relates to this trend and timepieces.

The fashion police.
Fashionista is the lexical combination (see ‘portmanteau’) of the words Fashion, which is the socially decided (see ‘groupthink’) garb to be worn by those wishing to be accepted in high society, and Sandinista, a Nicaraguan authoritarian political party.

OK, this customer visiting with us asked us a perfectly natural question, and it BLEW US AWAY (and yes, we do live reasonably well-rounded and interesting lives).

This grandfather clocks customer asked us, without a hint of any hesitation, if we might be able to secure for him a grandfather clock costume for his child’s upcoming Halloween party.  Now, have we been missing a HUGE marketing opportunity that never even occurred to us, or is this perhaps the only customer on Earth – although we do accept orders from outer space, but with shipping at cost – who might even be in the market for a grandfather clock costume?

Candidly, we have never seen a grandfather clocks costume to be used on Halloween or any other occasion.  Yet we certainly think it is a quite cool idea.  We wonder if any clocks enthusiasts out there have either seen a costume with someone dressed as a grandfather clock or grandmother clock.

If current sources exist, we would love to hear to about them and perhaps feature them on our main website.  If they are not yet in existence, we would still be quite interested if someone could design-make such a costume in time for Halloween this year. We would be delighted to feature this costume alongside our  grandfather clocks.  Whether the “creator” wants to  specifically have a Howard Miller Grandfather Clock, or a Hermle Grandfather Clock, or one from the Ridgeway grandfather clock collection, we would let you decide (after exploring the trademark issues).  We would LOVE to feature a grandfather clocks costume for Halloween in time for this season on our main clocks website, www.1-800-4CLOCKS.com.

Hope to hear from some-many of you soon. And please be safe on Halloween!

A Howard Miller Grandfather clock is the most requested brand of grandfather clocks which we receive, over time, throughout the years, and all through our long timepiece history.  The Howard Miller Clocks brand, especially as it extends to grandfather clocks, is the most well known high-end clock brand, certainly in the USA.  The Howard Miller Clock makers have earned this reputation with the biggest assortment of grandfather clocks by far, always made with high quality solid wood cases — unless a different design — and with German-made Hermle mechanical grandfather clock movements in all clocks going back maybe 5-7 years, and with Kieninger German made movements in more recent years for their grandfather clocks.

While Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks are our best sellers in general among Floor clocks, we are proud to sell and be Authorized Dealers for other grandfather clock brands as well, including Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, the Bulova Grandfather Clocks Collection, Kieninger Premium made to order (and then shipped from Germany) grandfather clocks, and the entire Hermle grandfather clock collection.

All of these clocks, for their higher end grandfather clocks selections, feature German-made mechanical movements and solid wood cases. Grandfather clock discounts and everyday low prices and sales apply for all Howard Miller Clocks, including Howard Miller wall clocks, mantle clocks, atomic clocks and desk clocks too!  This is true for all the brands we carry and all types of clocks, including cuckoo clocks.  Grandmother clocks, by the way, are simply shorter versions of grandfather clocks.  It is that simple!

This is especially important to be cognizant of as more and more cheap imports are flooding the North American market, with clocks with many plastic parts and particle board.  Many of these cheap imports also require a major assembly effort, and we cannot emphasize enough how many calls we get from frustrated buyers of these cheap imitation imports looking for help from us even though they did not purchase it from us.  The old Latin phrase, caveat emptor, or Let The Buyer Beware, is as true in the grandfather clock industry as it is in the financial markets.

Another aspect of the Howard Miller Grandfather Clock Collection worthy of note is the different lines they have within the brand, including the Limited Edition Grandfather Clocks, the Howard Miller Presidential Series of Grandfather Clocks, the Ambassador Grandfather Clocks, and the Furniture Trend Design grandfather clocks by Howard Miller.  All of these collections are worthy of looking at for what each has to offer the customer in his or her own way regarding style, size, design and rarity.

We would always like to hear from our 1-800-4CLOCKS.com customers about their personal favorites in time for timekeeping at its finest.

Are sale prices and bigger discounts on grandfather clocks and wall clocks and mantel clocks more important for retailers to offer now that the economy appears finally to be emerging from the recession. While many of the macroeconomic financial indicators are good, there are still an awful lot of people out there hurting in their pocketbooks.  And while August retail sales showed some significant gains, even excluding the auto cash for clunkers program, the pain out there among consumers is still palpable.

As President Obama noted just today, it is unlikely that any significant new job creation will take place until 2010, based on the history and patterns for recovery from previous recessions.  Sadly, employment is a lagging indicator of economic rebounds, a fact that never made much sense to me but always seems to have held true over the last periods of economic turmoil.

So back to grandfather clock discounts in the 4th quarter of 2009.  We are still noting that clock shoppers at all price points are more price sensitive than ever before.  We think that this new kind of smart consumer shopping is here to stay.

We always have grandfather clocks on sale, and many of our customers come to us telling us we have the lowest prices they have seen on the internet, or they have heard about the grandfather clock discounts we offer from their friends who have shopped with us over these many years.

Smart shopping is hear to stay. We are trying to adapt to this reality by continuing to offer highly competitive prices, but also by offering advice and overall customer service to our clocks customers that is second to none.  Just today one of our customers decided to purchase a Ridgeway grandfather clock from us despite the fact that it was being advertised by the discount chain Sam’s Club at a much deeper discount.  they knew that if there were a real problem, Sam’s Club would, in their opinion, likely be clueless as to how to handle the issue, at least compared to us.

Customer service, including educating consumers about their options, not even to mention offering many more choices, is a truly value add retail proposition.  We know that our grandfather clocks, mantel clocks, and wall clocks customers appreciate and recognize that, and want to go where the expertise and best selection is.  We are delighted that business dynamic still holds, and especially treasure our repeat customers. Also, in a landscape with ever-changing manufacturers, grandfather clocks by Howard Miller, as well as Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, the Bulova Grandfather Clock Collection, Hermle Grandfather Floor Clocks, and the Kieninger Grandfather Clocks all continue to have a special place in the high-end market.  We expect that to be true for the foreseeable future.

Wall clocks by Howard Miller Clocks, as well as mantel clocks by Howard Miller and Ridgeway Clocks, and Hermle Wall and Mantle Clocks, Bulova Clocks of all types, whether they are mechanical or quartz, continue to have customers drawn to them because of their superior quality.

We do not want our grandfather clocks, wall clocks, and mantel clocks  customers to have it any other way.

Grandfather clocks by Howard Miller have been among our best sellers of high end grandfather clocks at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com and in our Stores for many years.  The breadth and depth of offerings by Howard Miller Clocks, along with Howard Miller’s excellent reputation as a high-end maker of grandfather clocks, grandmother clocks and floor clocks of all types has let to our customers gravitating toward them time after time.  The number of repeat customer, the number of grown children looking for the best gift for a special anniversary for their parents (including many 20th wedding anniversary presents, many 25 year wedding anniversary milestones, several 40th, and even a 50th wedding anniversary gift just selected days ago) and especially the noteworthy purchase by parents looking for the perfect wedding present for their child and soon-to-be child-in-law.

Less common but still noteworthy are those individuals who collect Howard Miller grandfather clocks only, and the many more who collect many of the different clocks that Howard Miller clocks, including the mechanical keywound mantel clocks, and the many mechanical chiming wall clocks made by Howard Miller Clocks and sold by us.  They see and appreciate the quality, and they keep coming back.

We have yet to find anyone who has shared with us that they collect atomic wall clocks or atomic mantel clocks, but we know you are out there!  Let us know -  we are interested in tracking the trends in collecting any kind of timepiece.

One noteworthy quality that collectors and shoppers who are looking for serious expensive gifts, is that the grandfather clocks be of heirloom quality.  That is something that people who are looking for high end grandfather clocks on sale are especially drawn to, knowing the clocks can and will be appreciated for many generations.

Grandfather clocks discounts are another feature that those looking for grandfather clocks on sale strive to attain.  We will always work with a customer in one of our Stores to make sure whenever we can that we can meet or beat the competition when it comes to price.  We aim for grandfather clocks discounts every day, rather than artificially raising the prices so we can lower them again.  We also avoid SPECIAL SALE ENDS TODAY kind of game-playing marketing that pervades the internet and timepiece advertising in general.

On Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks, and on all the mechanical grandfather clocks on sale at 1-800-4CLOCKS, we offer BOTH Free Shipping and Free In Home Set-up.  Our customers also benefit from the fact that we are not required to collect sales tax for any grandfather clock shipped to the other 49 States, whether California, Colorado or Florida.  Only in New York are we required by law to charge sales tax.

While looking at Howard Miller Clocks, it is also worth looking at some other great brands we sell, including Hermle Grandfather Clocks, the Ridgeway Granfather Clocks Collection, Bulova Grandfather Clocks, and Kieninger Floor Clocks which are made to order and then shipped directly to your home from Germany (requiring several weeks of planning time).

Take a peek at the many grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantel clocks, atomic clocks and more that we have to offer by only the best makers, and all at great discounts.  Mantle clocks too!  Watch out for the many cheap no-name brands that might sound like something you might have heard of, but will only last a short while, relatively speaking.  We get many calls from buyers of those clocks who are in distress.  Nothing we can do, unfortunately, but suggest they buy from us next time, or shop for clocks more carefully.

In more modern grandfather clocks, there are 3 major categories of grandfather clocks with related movements, which are cable driven grandfather clocks, chain driven grandfather clocks, and quartz grandfather clocks, which are battery operated (there is also a tubular chime grandfather clock which has yet a different movement, but these clocks, while perhaps the most collectible, are the least collected because of their high price tag — so not addressed in this post).

The finest of the 3 movements, in our opinion, is the cable-driven mechanical clock. These magnificent timepieces, especially when the movements are made by the leading German movement makers Hermle and Kieninger, can in our experience expect to have a true heirloom life expectancy of 50-100 years with proper care, literally spanning several generations. The movements are generally 8 days, so winding once a week keeps then running continuously. The chime quality is the best because one actually hears the hammer striking the chime rod on each note. And cable driven movements can come with many bells and whistles, such as automatic nightime shut-off options, and many have triple chimes, with 2 in addition to the Westminster Chime. The downsides are there is no volume control for practical purposes, and grandfather clocks with these movements tend to be the priciest, though within a wide price range.

Grandfather clocks with chain-driven movements have some advantages and disadvantages as well. The movements themselves are smaller, so they are generally put in smaller cases, resulting in grandfather clocks with less height and depth than average. Many are attached to chain-driven clocks for sentimental reasons, especially if one grew up with one in one’s home. They are generally less expensive. They are also mostly 8 Day Movements, so if one “winds” the three weights by pulling down on each of the 3 chains once a week, the clock will run continuously. The only downsides we see with this type of movement are that the associated grandfather clocks do not generally have the same “bells and whistles”, e.g. automatic nighttime shutoff, or a moving and working moonphase dial. Perhaps the biggest downside in our experience is that the lifetime expectancy on a grandfather clock with a chain-driven movement is perhaps roughly half of what it might be for a cable-driven grandfather clock movement — in our experience maybe 25-50 years for a chain-driven grandfather clocks vs. 50-100+ years for a cable-driven grandfather clocks.

Now quartz grandfather clocks, which are battery operated, have a separate set of pros and cons. The pros are they are the least expensive to purchase, they have volume control, most have auto-night shut-off, and one does not need to remember to wind one! The cons are that the cases tend to be not as nice as those grandfather clocks housed with mechanical movements, and the sound of the chimes is not as good as with a mechanical grandfather clock. The reason for that is with a quartz grandfather clock one is actually listening to the chimes on a sound chip, and it has a higher pitch and “tinnier” sound. In our experience, a high quality quartz movement for a grandfather clock might be expected to last 10-25 years.

The good news for all 3 of these types of clocks is that the movements can either be repaired or replaced, even many many years later (we will go out on a limb here, be futuristic, and say they should be available for the next 100+ years, if a replacement movement is needed). Proper care and maintenance of a clock, including a “check-up” with cleaning and oiling every 5 years, is a must to preserve the longevity of your clock. When parts where out, and they will, there is always the question of whether it is cost-effective to simply replace the movement, or to fix the worn or broken parts, e.g. worn pivots or a broken wheel.

Quartz movements are generally most cost efficient to have replaced. They are inexpensive. With cable driven and chain-driven grandfather clocks, one really needs to look carefully at the pros and the cons of each action, with a special focus on the cost and likely longevity factor weighing in with either choice for a grandfather clock. Currently, there would not seem to be a reason to keep the clock “all original”, but tell that to the kid who’s mom threw out his old junk baseball card collection in a house clean-up. The conventional wisdom and collectibility factor could be a set of changing rules over time.

Have a grandfather clocks service center that you trust makes all the difference. We might also recommend getting 2 opinions if that is possible in your situation.

If one is horologically inclined, one could even order a new movement directly from an authorized supplier, such as Merritts.com or BlackForestImports.com. One needs all the numbers and markings on the back of the clock to be most certain-likely to get the “exact” or close to exact movement.

Any specific grandfather clocks questions or comments, please feel free to post them here at GrandfatherClocksBlog.com, operated by 1-800-4CLOCKS.com.