Over the years, many individuals have enthusiastically built grandfather clocks from grandfather clocks plans.  Sometime these plans for grandfather clocks came as a part of grandfather clock kits, including mechanical movements and weights and a pendulum and clock key, and at other times people have actually built the cases themselves from scratch using the grandfather clock plans only, and clock movements and other horological clock essentials from individual suppliers of clock parts.

Companies like Mason and Sullivan, which no longer exist, published many clock plans, and individual grandfather clocks and wall clocks (especially banjo clocks) and mantle clock enthusiasts built many mantel clocks and wall clocks and grandfather clocks from their plans.  The plans which came with parts almost always included mechanical german grandfather clocks or wall clocks or mantle clocks movements made by Hermle, which were also generally stamped Mason & Sullivan on the back of each individual movement.  They also made plans for grandmother clocks.

Some companies, like Kuempel Chime Clocks, sold both individual clocks made to order.  They also sold very popular grandfather clock kits with german grandfather clocks that had Kieninger grandfather clock movements.  In additional, they had kits and plans for mantel clocks and wall clocks too, again of German origin.  Unfortunately, this great company we believe went out of business not too long ago, within, we believe, the last couple of years.

We have as a goal to track down grandfather clocks plans and banjo clocks plans in particular.  Wall clocks plans too.  We know there were several Simon Willard and Aaron Willard banjo clock plans that are floating around out there.

We also want to offer more by way of grandfather clock kits, and are looking for companies which we feel are of high enough quality that we can partner with them, representing their line of grandfather clock kit parts.  After Kuempel Clocks demise, we have yet to find a suitable candidate.

If anyone has any grandfather clock plans or plans for wall clock, banjo clock plans or mantel clocks, please let us know.  We would be delighted to post the grandfather clocks plans and others on our website for everyone to enjoy.  We want your input.

We hope to hear from many of you!

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!

Most readers of this Blog will have heard of the book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”.

Well, interestingly, one of the reasons we entered this business many years ago is that, aside from our joy from and pleasure with dealing with clocks customers and the public at large, we also found satisfying our relationships with people in the profession worldwide to be trustworthy, trouble-free and enjoyable. We work around the globe, and a very significant percentage of our business is outside of North America.

Of the many times we deal with grandfather clocks service centers around the globe, we have by and large been pleased with the quality and integrity in our dealings, and the fact that the starting point, whether it was with wall clocks, mantel clocks, or a grandfather clock, was one of trust and mutual respect.

We have found this to be as true for people who are customers as for those who service the various grandfather clocks, mantle clocks, and wall clock models.

Well, everyone we suppose has their weaknesses, not to mention their brighter and dimmer moments. And the current deep recessionary climate has obviously taken its toll across almost all sectors and many millions of individuals. Economic pressure affects different people to different degrees, not even to mention that different industries and companies and individuals are all affected to varying and various degrees.

Now for the $64,000 question, or the BIG question, for those who may be too young to recognize the name of that long-ago television game show whose title became part of the American lexicon. Does this poor economic climate make people meaner? More short-tempered? More cautious? Less thoughtful?

Interestingly, among our customer base, aside from seeing a dramatic increase in the number of those who want to know what their antique grandfather clocks, or weight driven wall clocks, or nested bell chiming mantel clocks are worth, customers are just as nice, and just as respectful. There is no doubt and no surprise grandfather clocks customers of all types are searching for the best deals available, and we would be shocked if that were not the case.

Now clock and watch repair people, of which we are also, seem to be another story. It has been noted by many and is more or less accepted as fact, that clock repair people, also known as clocksmiths, and watch repair people, also known as watchsmiths, are a dying breed — only in the sense they they (we) are dwindling in numbers and the demand for services is decreasing as well. While there has been some resurgence in the collecting of antique clocks, and eBay has helped fuel an increase in pocket watch collecting, the general trends are undeniable, particularly when including the younger generations. It will be quite interesting to see if the iPod and iPhone generation purchase the best watches by Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Vacheron, and Patek, not even to mention Casio or Timex, or whether their wrists will be sporting something else. Even this ignores the unrelenting rise of the quartz movement vs. the mechanical movement, which greatly effects the repairs that might or might not be necessary over the life of any given watch.

But have clocksmiths changed their ways, or are they still on pretty good behavior the way consumers purchasing or shopping for grandfather clocks, atomic clocks, mantel clocks and wall clocks seem to be? Well, we know we have not changed our ways. Most all of those we deal with day in and day out are as great in every way as usual. We notice some concern up-front about the timing of payment, but that is natural given the state of the current economy.

One rather shocking development has been, in our view, how people react to things they are not familiar with or and perhaps ignorant about, when addressing new ways of marketing grandfather clocks. We had proposed an absolute win-win situation for clocksmiths to raise their internet profile, knowing by and large that this group as a whole is not exactly on the leading edge in this arena. Our sense is the economic climate has given many of them more time on their hands to be fretful about things they know little about. We will not comment here on the amazingly irresponsible vitriol from those who perhaps knew least what they were talking about. One can only hope they know more when it comes to grandfather clocks and mantel clocks. Wall clocks and atomic clocks too.

We took some time comfort and read with amusement something that may well apply to the small minority of the most outspoken ignorant individuals regarding grandfather clocks marketing. Read on.

THIS IS PROVIDED WITH HUMILITY and a note of levity, and we feel only might apply to people whose ignorance, whether about grandfather clocks, or wall clocks, or marketing or the internet, lead them to say things and do things that are truly reprehensible by any standard measure of clocks decency.

About “stupid” people. No offense. While they constitute the last category of humanity deemed fair game for name-calling — nitwit, halfwit, dumbass, doofus, dullard, imbecile, simpleton, moron, cretin, boob, dope, nincompoop, dolt, etc. – their stupidity isn’t a moral failing or weakness of character. Their handicap is just an accident of birth. This is excerpted from an article in today’s Advertising Age on another subject entirely.

We love most all of our grandfather clocks colleagues. Every profession has its dregs. Clocks rule!

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.

Big Ben, as the iconic clock sitting atop the Houses of Parliament in London, turned 150 years old today, May 31.  The clock still runs mechanically as it did and with most all of the same parts as it did when it began ticking away in 1859.  The clock still also plays the Westminster Chimes, which as most clocks enthusiasts know, is the favored chime for grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantel clocks and more.

As we have noted before and many know, Big Ben actually refers to the bell that is struck, but the name has come into common usage as the name for the clock tower as a whole. We go into more detail on this and other aspects of this wonder timepiece on our website which can be found at the following link: http://www.1-800-4clocks.com/tour-big-ben-clock-tower.html.

July 11th will bring another 150th Anniversary, as that is the date Big Ben actually first struck its bell, telling time with sound and with Westminster chimes.  The clock is generally wound three times a week, and the very minor time adjustments that are made are done by adding weight to the weights equivalent to the size of USA pennies.

The 4 sided timepiece masterpiece has always captured the imagination of legions around the world.  One of the more amusing ways the Big Ben Clock has been in the news in recent generations has been by ongoing rumors that the British Government has decided to turn Big Ben digital.  As far as we know, this first dates back to a 1980 broadcast by the BBC on April Fools Day where they announced that Parliament had made this decision, and phone lines were opened to sell parts of the famous clocks facade, including the hands.  Calls came in with offers from as far away as Japan, and this April Fools Joke has gone down in the annals of history as one of the greatest, perhaps in the Top 100, April Fools jokes of all time!

We have seen postings in Blogs at other times, and we have to say that frankly some of them seem to think the news is real and new, or perhaps they are only hoping others will pick it up.  Below are some “actual pictures” of the Digital Big Ben Clock”:

But SERIOUSLY, HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY DEAR BIG BEN CLOCK, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!