Whether you are planning for your home grandfather clock, wall clocks, mantel clocks, or even atomic clocks, you may or may not be aware of the changes afoot this year as to when we return to Daylight Savings Time. After President George W Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005, it was planned that 2007 would be the year that Daylight Savings Time would be effective with clocks moving back one hour the first Sunday in November (vs. week earlier in prior years), which is November 4. Daylight savings time in the Spring now moves forward an hour on the second Sunday in March. The 2 am local time change remains the same.

The stated goals of the energy policy is to increase energy savings and increase workplace productivity. Some more cynical analysts have theorized that this change is simply a rouse by the powerful Candy Lobbying Industry to sell more Halloween Candy (we are remaining neutral on that point ).

Not every USA State is adopting the new law, though 48 are, Only Arizona and Hawaii are leaving their clocks alone.

There is no doubt that some confusion took place last weekend, when people’s habits and/or systems were still operating under the old time rules. Even this week software companies are sending out patches to help make the transition this weekend be a smooth one.

One great Safety Tip - every time the clocks are changed back and forth for Daylight Savings Time is an excellent opportunity to ALSO change the batteries in your Home and Office Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector. Better safe than sorry! This life-saving tip has been brought to you by 1-800-4CLOCKS.

Many grandfather clocks, and some mantel clocks and wall clocks as well, have the words Tempus Fugit shown above or on the dial of the clock.  1-800-4CLOCKS has received thousands of inquiries over the years with questions about “My Tempus Fugit” grandfather clock. And Grandmother Clocks for that matter.  Tempus Fugit Clocks — would you pay a premium for them?

Tempus Fugit, it is important to note, is not a brand name for clocks, like Bulova Grandfather Clocks, Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks, Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, and so forth.  Tempus Fugit is simply the Latin for “Time Flies”, and is inscribed on and above the dials of many grandfather clocks.  No single clock company or watch manufacturer has the exclusive right to using the words tempus fugit. This time term is in the public domain, and can be used by anyone, at any time.

Tempus Fugit also shows up on many other timepieces, both antique and new, pocket watches, wristwatches, and sundials and even some sandtimers.

So when comparison shopping and looking for grandfather clocks discounts or any clock on sale, just remember, don’t be fooled by a bargain price for a Tempus Fugit clock.  This is another tip to shop smart and save you money while comparison shopping.

Even for the somewhat seasoned and knowledgeable clocks collector, figuring out which Company makes the best clock, has the highest end reputation, the best value, ownership structures and changing interrelationships between companies over time is quite a daunting task. We aim to simplify and demystify in this blog post.

Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks have for some period been the leading high-end brand of choice of a large majority of Americans, with some estimates saying their high-end market share has been as high as 90% and more. Howard Miller Clocks, the mechanical ones, all have high-end German made movements (more on this later).

Hermle Grandfather Clocks, whose mechanical grandfather clock movements and cases are almost all made in Germany, by Hermle itself. Interestingly, until more recent years (e.g. roughly last 3-5 years) most all of the mechanical Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks had Hermle Movements inside of them! Why no longer?

Howard Miller Clocks went out and bought Hermle’s leading - and really one and only remaining competitor to Hermle Clocks (for clock movements) in the world - then the ONLY OTHER very high-end semi-mass manufacturer of movements for mechanical clocks, Kieninger Clocks, which was much smaller than Hermle at the time. In our view, with some minor subtleties, the quality of Hermle Movements is roughly comparable to the quality of Kieninger’s Mechanical Clock Movements, and they are both of super-high quality.

So Howard Miller Clocks gradually started swapping out Hermle Clock movements for Kieninger Clock movements - the Company it now owned - to the point now where almost all Howard Miller Mechanical Clocks now have Kieninger movements.

Think you understand the landscape of grandfather or father time machines now? HA! What about Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks? And what about Kieninger Grandfather Clocks? And the relatively speaking more recent introduction of Bulova Grandfather Clocks, which bought many of the design rights to the highly regarded Sligh Grandfather Clock Brands when it went out of business.

Bulova Grandfather Clocks? Their mechanical movements are made by Hermle, and their cases are hand-made in Canada. Howard Miller’s cases are made in the USA. Kieninger’s Grandfather Clocks, as you might expect, use Kieninger German made movments and have their cases made in Germany.

Now what about the great designs of Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, one of the oldest grandfather clocks companies in the world, and one which has many AMAZING designs! Guess what? They are now owned by Howard Miller Clocks. Their cases are made in the USA and their mechanical movements are mostly made in Germany - Kieninger as you might have guessed! Ridgeway Clocks fashion-forward clock designs also use some quartz movements. As near as we can tell, the origin of the quartz movements are not at this point uniform either within or between Companies.

Hope yo have this all straight. No more time to study! The quiz is in 60 minutes! Stay tuned for a continued wild ride!

What does your grandfather clock signify to you about the meaning of time?  This is a subject so many people comment on when ordering a new factory direct grandfather clocks at wholesale prices, or Antique Grandfather Clocks.   See down below for our basic thoughts and reasons we have heard from our Grandfather Clock customers.

We want your responses and input!

This Grandfather Clocks blog entry is geared toward the many meanings of clocks and time, throughout the history of clocks and timekeeping.  The history of having a grandfather clock in one’s own home, and it was only in the 1700s that clocks started being available in Europe in any numbers in the general population, and only by the most affluent individuals (grandfather clocks were only invented in the mid-1600s).  Back in the ages of sundials and sandtimers, and even from Galileo’s early theories on the ability to keep and tell time, people had no means for a clock even if they were the “Bill Gates” of the Renaissance era!

Christmas shopping and gift giving for the Holidays, is fast approaching, and Grandfather Clause Clocks are more and more on the minds of shoppers - both Antique Grandfather Clocks or New Grandfather Clocks.  Whether a Howard Miller Grandfather Clock, one from the Ridgeway Grandfather Clock Collection, a Hermle Grandfather Clock, a Seth Thomas Clock or one of the Kieninger Grandfather Clocks or Bulova Grandfather Clocks, or an Antique Grandfather Clock.

Here are some of thoughts we have heard and thought ourslves - please add to or comment on this list:

1.  The 1876 Grandfather Clocks Song by Henry Clay Work, as the lyrics go, suggested that the Grandfather Clock was a kindred spirit with its owner, when the clock was relatively young chiming joyously with 24 Gongs when his new bride arrived, and ultimately, many years later, stopping, and some might say dying, when, as the clock lyrics go, “it sopped, short, never to run again when the old man died”.

2. Some say they love or want grandfather clocks because it feels as though they actually have contol over time.

3. Some go even further, and say they feel it gives them some further sense of control with the World in general.

4. Others say they love clocks because time is so ephemeral, and as the Patek Philippe watches ads say, roughly, you are only holding you timepiece for the next generation.  In that context, keeping time offers a sense of continuity.

5. Some see clocks and grandfather clocks of helping them to recognize their own mortality, almost as a countdown clock, helping not only with telling time but also having the clocks seconds minutes and hours almost as a Death Clock, or a time clock telling or reminding them that their days on Earth are increasingly numbered and waning.  Almost like a stopwatch counting down their time.

6. And of course, there are those who are simply looking at clocks from a home decor or interior decorating standpoint.  Others simply remember their parents or grandparents or friends of parents as having a certain special clock, and they want to revive both that feeling of warmth and feeling, many times of awe, from when they were children.

We want to know what you think.  Please respond to this clocks blog listing with your thoughts, and we expect all legitimate post will be added to our blog.

Grandfather Clocks Blog thanks you, and we look forward to your input.

1-800-4CLOCKS is often told by grandfather clocks shoppers that they are overwhelmed by the number of choices BOTH within and between brands. We have made this job easier for our customers by only presenting for sale grandfather clocks that meet our high standards of both excellence of movement and casework. We are focusing here on mechanical grandfather clocks — vs. quartz grandfather clocks. It just so happens that ALL of the brands we carry and that are noted above, have had their movements made in Germany (either Kieninger or Hermle movement, which are generally of comparable quality and absolutely top of the line!).

The cases are also made either in the USA (e.g. for for Howard Miller Clocks and Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks selection), in Canada (e.g. Bulova Grandfather Clocks) , or Germany (e.g., most all of Hemle Clocks and Kieninger Grandfather Clocks).

There is no doubt that this is a fast changing market, and we forecast that within 5 years we will see more and more imported components from China (and other Asian countries), and entire clocks themselves. It is already happening, but the gap in quality means we will not even consider selling them at this time. We expect that to change in the coming years, both by these Companies selling direct in USA, and by the exisiting best manufactures sourcing clocks components from the Far East.

Stay tuned - it is going to be wild decade, and a wild time for the industry.

Bulova Grandfather Clocks, along with much of the rest of the Bulova Clocks line (from Bulova clock miniatures to mantel clocks to wall clocks), including the Frank Lloyd Wright Clock Collection, will soon be sold in the 1-800-4CLOCKS Grand Central Terminal Store as well as online on its website. The quality and worksmanship of the cases for the Bulova Grandfather Clocks, all hand-made in North America, combined with Hermle Clocks mechanical movements inside, has inspired 1-800-4CLOCKS to offer most of the Bulova line. Bulova Clocks, as we understand it, purchased the design rights for all of the very highly regarded Sligh Grandfather Clocks line, which was recently discontinued by Sligh Clocks. Keep an eye out for these great Bulova Clocks home decor and office decor additions over the next 1-3 weeks.

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