Many of our best customers, and other consumers simply shopping with general inquiries, ask about what German Grandfather Clocks for sale we have.  In fact, all of the mechanical grandfather clocks we have for sale, those that are cable driven and keywound, and those that are chain driven, current have movements which are made in Germany.  The two remaining high-end movement manufacturers that still make quality movements in any quantity are both German companies, which are Hermle Clocks and Kieninger Clocks.

Hermle clocks currently supplies movements for Bulova Grandfather Clocks and, of course, Hermle Grandfather Clocks.  Kieninger Clocks currently supplies mechanical movement grandfather clock movements for mechanical Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks, mechanical Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, and of course mechanical Kieninger Grandfather Clocks.  Kieninger Clocks is owned by Howard Miller Clocks.  Until about seven years ago, most all Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks had mechanical Hermle Grandfather Clock movements installed.

So if you read the above carefully, you will note that all the mechanical grandfather clocks offered by Bulova, Hermle, Ridgeway, Howard Miller and Kieninger have German mechanical grandfather clock movements installed.  Where the grandfather clocks cases are made is a whole another subject entirely.

So to summarize:

Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks with mechanical movements currently have German made movements made by Kieninger Clocks, a German clock company.

Hermle Grandfather Clocks with mechanical movements have German made Hermle grandfather clock movements, made by Hermle Clocks, of course (and another German company).

Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks with mechanical cable driven and chain driven movements, which is all of Ridgeway’s mechanical clocks, have German made Kieninger Grandfather Clock movements installed.

Kieninger grandfather clocks with mechanical cable driven and chain driven grandfather clocks have grandfather clocks made by the German company, surprise, Kieninger Clocks.

Bulova Grandfather Clocks have mechanical movements, both chain driven and cable driven, which are made by Hermle Clocks, a German clock company.

So when shopping for clocks on sale, a better question than “Where can I buy one of those high quality German grandfather clocks?” might be “Are there any grandfather clocks that you sell that might not be considered German grandfather clocks?”

When you’re shopping for discount grandfather clocks on sale, perhaps you will have to call us to find out.

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!

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!