We could not decide whether to put this post in our Grandfather Clock Blog, or in our Clocks Blog focusing more on Wall Clocks, Mantel Clocks, And Atomic Clocks of all types.   Both of these clocks blogs also focus on wristwatches and pocket watches, including digital timepieces.  So in the end we opted to show off some exciting new technology in the Grandfather Clocks Blog.

This new wrist communication and timepiece device is designed by a company called MetaWatch, and they are referring to this timepiece just below as a smart-watch.  It is supposed to eventually, if not initially, allow access to email, to give current weather and forecasts, to send and receive text messages, and to interact with various other computing features and smarthome control devices, including changing the channels on a television, if we remember correctly.

We would be very interested in hearing about consumer and business reaction to this type of device, as well as whether it could or might somehow be incorporated into a grandfather clock or perhaps a mantle clock.  One unusual use of clocks, which to date we have not sold, is to include cameras in clocks, which can be used either for virtual surveillance or recorded and replayed surveillance.  Some electronics resellers have purchased clocks from us for this use.

We are especially interested in any ideas which might somehow for with a home-based grandmother clock or grandfather clocks.  While to date most all of the digital clocks offered that we sell are Howard Miller Wall Clocks or Hermle Gallery Clocks or Ridgeway Wall Clocks, we have not given up on the concept of digital grandfather clocks and even digital street clocks.   We will soon be offering large LED table clocks and wall clocks, with large numbers and letters in different models, with some showing the day and date.  Some will also feature blue LED time lights in addition to wall clocks feather the more traditional red LED lights.  Atomic LED clocks are not far behind.

The story has been reported, coinciding roughly with the Olympics, that the Big Ben Clock Tower in London will soon be renamed Elizabeth Tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth.  We somehow doubt the Big Ben Clock name change will really sink in, as tradition and history play such a vital role in a country, and in this case, the world’s psyche.  The Big Ben Clock Tower in London’s House of Parliament is thought of by much of the globe as the world’s grandfather clock.

The clock history story and perspective and future dedication have a story that goes like this.

The iconic Clock Tower of Britain’s Parliament-home of the famous “Big Ben” will officially be renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.

Shall we rename our upcoming Big Ben Grandfather Clocks collection the Elizabeth Grandfather Clock Collection.  We think we will wait and see what happens in terms of the adoption of the name in horological and the general lexicon over time, both in the UK and globally.

The 315 ft.-high structure, one of Britain’s most famous landmarks, will officially be titled “Elizabeth Tower.”  This is part of a recent effort by British lawmakers to celebrate the monarch’s 60 years on the throne.   A House of Commons Commission statement stated that official actions are being taken to ensure that the new tower name will be implemented in an appropriate manner in due course.  Construction of the tower was completed in 1858.  It houses a four-faced chiming clock and the famed 13-ton Big Ben bell.

British Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced that the new name was a “fitting tribute to the Queen and the service she has given our country.”

It was generally agreed by those within British government that the honor was a fitting recognition of Queen Elizabeth’s lifetime of dedication and tireless service.

No date or time yet as to when this Big Ben Tower Clock name change may, or we should say rather will, take place.

London’s Big Ben Clock Tower to be known as Elizabeth Tower in honor of Queen Elizabeth

Who does not love a good time or clock related riddle.  Well, we came across on at Dictionary.com the other day, and as a leader in the grandfather clock, wall clock and mantel clock industry, we feel it is especially worth sharing.

This one is also much better than the old one about throwing a clock to see time fly.

This clever question goes as follows – what is once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in 1,000 years?  Hint – the answer is shorter than one word.

OK, have you put your thinking cap on and figured this clock and time riddle out for yourself, or do you need to keep reading?  The answer is, simply, m.

Hope this is clear to all you clock enthusiasts out there.  Now when you are sitting in your living room furnished with a Howard Miller grandfather clock, a Hermle wall clock, and a musical Rhythm Clock whether Small World or other, you will have an additional tidbit to entertain your family and friends.

Any more time riddles?  Let us know and we will be happy to share them here.  Feel free to post simply as comments, or write to us with our userid grandfatherclocks on eBay.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Summer.

Special thanks to www.Dictionary.com

Since grandfather clocks were first being made and introduced in the mid 1600s, there were perhaps a good 200 plus years where makers of grandfather clocks were highly decentralized, originally from Merry Old England and other parts of what are now the united Kingdom, and gradually spreading to other parts of Western Europe, and then Eastern Europe, with Germany and its Black Forest, France, Austria being among the major centers of origin of what are known today as grandfather clocks.  As with makers of antique pocket watches over this time period, the makers of the movements were frequently different from the makers of the cases.  A look at the Swiss pocket watch history over time shows this same truth and experience, with one clear reason being that it takes a different skill set to make a fine movement than it does to craft a silver or gold pocket watch case or carved wooden grandfather clock case.

As the grandfather clock, as well as wall clocks and mantel clocks and even pocket watch markets matured in the 1800s, these trends continued, and even some 250 years later, such esteemed retailers as Tiffany & Company in the USA and Europe, as well as J E Caldwell in Philadelphia, and countless European-based retailers, would frequently contract for small lots of grandfather clocks, pocket watches, wall clocks and mantel clocks, and other timepieces, where at the end of the day the retailer would put their name on the dials, and sometimes the movements (other times they asked the movement makers not to sign the movements with their own names so it appeared the retailers were more fully integrated manufacturers).

In the earliest years of grandfather clocks, or longcase or tallcase clocks as they were then known, after they started to be made in larger numbers, it was only the most wealthy families that could afford them, which in itself is not too surprising.  The makers of the grandfather clocks knew their target market at that time, and recognized that the buyers of grandfather clocks also frequently had servants and other house-workers including maids and butlers.  So these same makers came up with models that were less expensive, and with movements that instead of lasting 8 days with each wind, which was the norm for the finest grandfather clocks, these clocks would last for 30 hours only between windings.  As the servants time was deemed by the buyers of clocks to be less valuable, this both allowed the wealthier individuals the status of having a grandfather clock that was a cut above those of their servants, and yet their helpers had the advantage, or perhaps burden depending upon how one looks at it, of keeping to actual timed schedules and routines.  A major leap forward in organization and management, which would be as useful for businesses at that time as for fully staffed homes.

When shopping for antique grandfather clocks or antique grandmother clocks, one must always be mindful, aside from whether the clocks parts are all original to each other, at whether a clock has the 30 hour vs 8 an day movement (sometimes one will also come across grandfather clocks with 30 day movements, usually known as regulators, but that is a category unto itself).  Generally speaking, a grandfather clock with an 8 day movement will be considered much more collectible and valuable than a comparable clock with a 30 hour movement.  To begin with, it would have cost a lot more at the time it was made not only to purchase it but to make it.  Additionally, all other things being equal (which they are most definitely not in some instances), the grandfather clock with the 8 day movement probably had more work and finer materials and craftsmanship put into both the movement and the case.  Additionally, a 30 hour grandfather clock movement would have had to have been wound almost 3 times as many times as an 8 day movement, so there is much more of a chance of either a worm or replaced movement in a 30 hour clock.  Having said that, we would never say to steer clear of 30 hour antique grandfather clocks for these reasons, especially if it is appealing and collectible in other ways or for other reasons.

Not too surprisingly, given that grandfather clocks were introduced and made before the industrial revolution, production and manufacturing of both clock movements and cases was highly decentralized, both within and across markets.  It also was more of a craft and an art form compared to many other forms of innovation, so there were many many thousands of makers across Western Europe, Eastern Europe and North America.

Switzerland, while never quite the center for clocks that it was for pocket watches and became for wristwatches, by itself had tens of thousands of amazingly talented watchsmiths and clocksmiths, and they tended to be clustered by and within families, and over time collaboration between families of watchmakers.  As with clocks, watches movements tended to be made by one group, with the cases sourced to specification by the watchmakers.

When looking at the quality and workmanship of yesteryear, frequently the best place to see it is to look at antique pocket watches.  The author of this post has opened pocket watches that are 100 years old, 200 years old, and 300 years old, and unbelievably, they not only may start running immediately (perhaps required a cleaning or oiling, especially to be accurate timekeepers, but frequently not), but they look as if they could have been made yesterday, and in addition, that they may have another 100 or 200 or 300 years of life left in them.  Opening an antique pocket watch gives one the feeling, sometimes, of opening a time capsule.  This is also true if one looks at the more standardized timepieces made in America by say, the Waltham Watch Company or Elgin Watches.  If one wants an example of how American manufacturing can be so consistently incredible and built to last, one needs to look no farther than a sampling of the many  timepieces made by these American companies.

In an era where Made in America may be getting a second (or 1000th) look, a look back at these masterpieces of quality, workmanship and reliability would be great aspirational examples of the quality we Americans have been able to provide the world over, and built to last and at affordable prices and with continuing innovation.

John Harrison was one of the most influential horologists ever, whose work in England in the 1700s contributed not only greatly to grandfather clocks and pocket watches, but also to linking not only the telling of time for ships on the water, but also how it related and might link to not only navigation on the high seas but also planetary movements.  He also invented some incredibly cool clocks, including one known as The Grasshopper Clock.

When most people think about the lyrics to a or the grandfather clock song, their first instinct is to think of the Westminster Chimes music which was popularized in the many many years since the Big Ben Tower Clock in London and the Parliament and Westminster Abbey complex made that 5 bell chime so widely heard and appreciated.

But the Grandfather Clock song actually refers the the Americanization of the grandfather clock term, compared to the Anglo term(s) used before for a hundred plus years of tall case clocks and long case clocks.  These same clocks are also known today, and some through many years, as Floor Clocks, Hall Clocks, Grandmother Clocks Grandfather Wall Clocks (a misconceptions, but nonetheless widely held) and one or two other terms we are probably omitting at the moment.  Feel free to post comments to remind us or enlighten us.  The song, “My Grandfather’s Clock”, was written by the noted musician Henry Work Clay in 1876.

The general consensus among historians and horologists is that Henry Work Clay wrote this song after he was inspired by the goings on at the George Hotel, an Inn in Piercebridge, England, that. Mr. Clay knew, as he knew the two Jenkins brothers who owned and operated this Hotel.  The entryway of this hotel had a longcase clock which was a focal point of the Hotel’s Lobby.   The story goes that this longcase clock, or grandfather clock as it would later become known as a result of this song, is that the clock always kept accurate time up until one of the two Jenkins brothers passed on.  Shortly thereafter, the clock started gradually losing more time, and this trend continued to accelerate over time.  Local clock makers and Hotel Staff who were familiar with clocks in general, and certainly this one, were all unable to fix this problem.

When the 2nd Jenkins brother passed away, this clock was said to have stopped ticking precisely at the moment “when the old man died”, which became a refrain for Henry Work Clay’s song.  Mr. Clay had visited the Hotel the year prior, in 1875.  He heard many of the above stories, and had a chance to ask question and get feedback.  Incidentally, this Hotel is still in existence today.  Our guess is the grandfather clock, whether the original one or not, is now working.

The clock was 1½ times taller than the more recently deceased grandfather’s height at the time of his death, though they apparently weighed about the same (not sure why exactly relevant, it is wide reported upon).  The clock had been purchased on the actual birthday of the more recently deceased of the 2 brothers.  Fascinated is the fact that the clock worked apparently worked great for 90 years, with the problems only beginning and the clock stopping on his 90th birthday.

This grandfather clock had one unusual feature.  When Mr Jenkins, last of the 2 brothers to pass, brought his bride into the Hotel, this clock somehow (magically, with a remote of some sort, or a switch or clock lever perhaps – we may never know), would always ring 24 times whenever his wife visited the Hotel.

Then one night, and at a time when Mr. Jenkins was extremely ill, the clock made an unusual sound the Innkeepers had never heard before, yet they somehow sensed or “knew” that this meant Mr. Jenkins would soon die.  Sure enough, he did several hours later, and amazingly the grandfather clock stopped ticking and working at precisely the moment Mr. Jenkins heart stopped beating.  None of the Inn’s staff, nor any of the best clocksmiths in the area, were able to fix the clock. The grandfather clocks song was popularized around the world in the late 1800s, first in England.  It gradually and continually took hold more and more over time in the USA, to the point now where a grandfather clock or grandfather clocks is in the fact term most everyone on North America uses today- one rarely see longcase clocks or tall case clocks as the defining term.

Here BELOW are the lyrics to Henry Clay Work’s creation and rendition on “My Grandfather Clock” My grandfather’s clock
Was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half
Than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn
Of the day that he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride;
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

CHORUS:
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

In watching its pendulum
Swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy;
And in childhood and manhood
The clock seemed to know,
And to share both his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty-four
When he entered at the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride;
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
CHORUS

My grandfather said
That of those he could hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found;
For it wasted no time,
And had but one desire,
At the close of each week to be wound.
And it kept in its place,
Not a frown upon its face,
And its hand never hung by its side.
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
CHORUS
It rang an alarm
In the dead of the night,
An alarm that for years had been dumb;
And we knew that his spirit
Was pluming for flight,
That his hour of departure had come.
Still the clock kept the time,
With a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side.
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
CHORUS

Some really nice grandfather clocks by Howard Miller Clocks and Hermle Clocks:

Howard Miller Coolidge Grandfather Clock List: $7,082.00 SALE: $4,957.40 Hermle Triple Chime Grandfather Clock List: $2,909.00 SALE: $1,949.00

Many grandfather clock buyers start out looking for wall clocks, only to realize that what they really wanted for their homes were a floor clock, more commonly known and referred to as a grandfather clock.  Some times a customer just realizes the presence and beauty and sound that can come from a traditional grandfather clock, such as a Howard Miller Grandfather Clock, and other times a customer may actually ask to see what they frequently term a grandfather wall clock.  Some of these shoppers mean a traditional or contemporary grandfather clock while others are referring to a large weight drive mechanical chiming wall clock that they nonetheless think of as a grandfather clock.  One of the basic definitions of a grandfather clock or grandmother clock is that it is free standing, and therefore not hung on a wall.  Mind you we always recommend to our customers, as with any tall, large heavy piece of furniture, to anchor it to the wall as well, so the clock could not be pulled down or fall down on unsuspecting victims, either because of childhood shenanigans or forces of Mother Nature, like an earthquake.

In the last six months we have noticed that many of what might be, or have been, considered to be among the higher end retailers, are now carrying more and more cheaply made clocks at seeming too good to be true but actually bad value prices, with many of the  clock models designed to look very much like the higher price and much better quality clocks that they had previously only sold exclusively, e.g. the higher quality mechanical grandfather clocks made by Howard Miller and Hermle Floor Clocks or Howard Miller Keywound Chiming Mantel Clocks, or Kieninger Grandfather Clocks and mantel clocks.  Ridgeway Clocks and Infinity Clocks, not to mention Black Forest German-made cuckoo clocks by the Anton Schneider Clock Company, and we are now seeing what are essentially cheap knock-offs that frequently require assembly, are made of particle board or thin woods not likely to last for very long, and with movements that do not even begin to compare with, for example, the German made mechanical winding grandfather clock movements that are in all the mechanical grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks we currently sell!

Here are some of our highest end most interesting grandfather clocks, which some might think of as grandfather wall clocks:

Kieninger Edwards Grandfather Clock <-[Links to clock on our website - amazing contemporary tubular chime grandfather clock Made in Germany]

Howard Miller J. H. Miller Grandfather Clock <- [also links to our website - another amazing tubular chime clock with German movement, traditional style, Model 611-030 611030]

Also worth a special look are the:

Howard Miller Taylor Grandfather Clock

Howard Miller Reagan Grandfather Clock

Howard Miller Eisenhower Grandfather Clock

Many grandfather clock discount shoppers will come into one of our stores, or call us, and ask to see the Big Ben grandfather clock selection we carry.  Almost invariably, they mean grandfather clocks that play the famous Westminster Chimes, which are also played by the Big Ben Clock Tower in the Parliament Building in downtown London England.  Almost everyone will recognize the Westminster Chime played by Big Ben, because aside from it being the most popular chime by far on grandfather clocks, and besides hearing it in London, it is also the chime played by most Churches in the Western World.  You might want to see www.BigBenGrandfatherClocks.com for more details.

We should probably mention that we are aware that there is a clock retailer out there which uses the very clock-friendly and seemingly instantly recognizable name of Big Ben Clocks, but we have no relationship to them whatsoever, nor do we imagine do they to the real Big Ben Clock Tower in London.

Most modern-day or contemporary grandfather clocks will either have a single chime which is the Westminster Chimes, and if the clock is a triple chime grandfather clock, meaning it effectively comes pre-loaded with a choice of three chimes that the owner can switch back and forth between – but never do while the chime is playing – and the other 2 grandfather clock chimes are likely to be the Whittington grandfather clock chime or the St Michaels floor clock chime.  A small number of high-quality grandfather clocks, which we will highlight below, offer as an alternative to the Westminster Chime the Franz Schubert Ave Maria and the Ludwig van Beethoven Ode to Joy chimes, so these 2 grandfather clocks, pictured below, would come the the choice of the Big Ben Westminster Chime, Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and Schubert’s Ave Maria chime, something rarely found on a mechanical clock.  Mechanical grandfather clocks have a much superior chime sound quality when they come from a German mechanical made grandfather clock movement, as do these two models.

Howard Miller Stewart Grandfather Clock

model 610-948 610948, plays Big Ben Westminster, Ave Maria and Ode to Joy Chimes

Howard Miller Clayton Grandfather Clock

model 610-950 610950, also plays Big Ben Westminster, Ave Maria and Ode to Joy Chimes

It is amazing to look on YouTube or Google or search around the web more generally and to see how many people are buying grandfather clocks or grandfather clock chiming sounds of the virtual variety.  There are a gazillion of widget and other file type sound downloads that not only are customizable, but also replicate the sound, for example, of the most popular grandfather clock chime of all, the Big Ben Tower Clock Westminster Chimes.

People, at least some of them, always like to mix the more traditional with the latest and greatest, whether it is in technology or something else.  Hence flash clocks and flash grandfather clocks and wall clocks and mantel clocks have made a comeback in popularity, in addition to real life, in the world of cyberspace.  There are even desktop applications where one can have the sound of mechanical movement Westminster Chimes recorded from Big Ben Clock Tower itself, or your PC or Mac or iPad can be programmed to wake you up to that any many other chiming clock choices.

Now most connoisseurs of grandfather clocks or timepieces in general will always want the real thing and find there is no substitute for a genuine Howard Miller Grandfather Clock, or one made by Hermle Clocks, or a Ridgeway Grandfather Clock, one of our Museum Clocks™ Grandfather Clocks, or a Kieninger Grandfather Clock.While many of us might like to spend time in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, all of us would ultimately rather live in the Castle equipped with a genuine contemporary grandfather clock or one of the more traditional types of grandfather clocks.

While the economy appears to continue to be strengthening, smart shoppers are always looking to purchase grandfather clocks on sale or get as much off as they can on a discount grandfather clock.  While we always try to address that need, we believe as much in top notch service, including free in-home setup by an authorized technician instead of a moving company, and we are always willing to take the time to educate any prospective grandfather clocks shopper on the difference within and between brands and makers, as well as different types of movements such as cable-driven vs chain-driven, and whether a grandfather clock kit should be considered, along with the pros and cons.  New vs. antique grandfather clocks, grandmother clocks and grandfather clocks, grandfather clock plans, Kieninger vs. Hermle movements, and clock kits and grandfather clock plans, much less cheaply made imports which may be dead on arrival, are all aspects of the purchase of grandfather clocks that we consider.

Most all grandfather clock shoppers want an heirloom quality grandfather clock or grandmother clock.  We aim to see these consumers get their moneys worth and are satisfied with their purchase not only for years but also for generations to follow.

Here are some of the grandfather clocks that have been very popular as of late:

Museum Clocks Grandfather Clock Collection

Museum Clocks™

This one is almost a magical quote, that any grandfather clock or timepiece enthusiast would appreciate.  Music to my ears.

It is, simply, “The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.” -Albert Einstein.

While you might not need a grandfather clock or wall clock or wristwatch or mantel clock, or even an atomic clock, if everything did in fact happen all at once, it would certainly make for some interesting moments.  Sounds like the basis for a potential great new movie!   Martin Scorseze’s Hugo, with its clocks theme, proved to be both a blockbuster and Academy Award winner.

Somehow it seems to this writer that Leonardo Dicaprio should play a/the leading.  It could be a very short timeline, or perhaps it would be a long one.  And probably no possibility of a sequel, but perhaps a prequel if that time has not yet passed.

Mantel Clocks

http://www.1-800-4clocks.com/mantel-clocks.html

Many of the grandfather clock discount shoppers who make their way to one of our stores or who call us toll free at 1-800-4CLOCKS, not to mention those who shop for grandfather clocks online, are in search of the ideal wedding gift, perfect surprise anniversary present for their spouse or loved one, or may be looking to get the ideal wedding anniversary present for their parents or grandparents, and in some cases where the parents find a grandfather clock to be the ideal wedding gift or perfect anniversary gift to give to their children or grandchildren.

While giving a wall clock or mantel clock by Howard Miller Clocks or other fine makers, it is certainly different than giving an Apple iPad 3 or a flat screen television, or even fine porcelain china that people may typical register for as part of their wedding planning and choosing items for their wedding bridal registry.  We have been pleasantly surprised to see how many people think that an “old-fashioned” grandfather clock as a wedding present or wedding anniversary gift can truly make a house turn into a home.

Heirloom grandfather clocks frequently have the greatest appeal for those individuals who themselves grew up with a grandfather clock or chiming wall clock or chiming mechanical mantel clock in their home when they were growing up.  This consist theme is shared by many who talk about the memories it brings back, either from their own home growing up, or in some cases from hearing the Whittington or Westminster Chime of the grandfather clock or floor clock bringing back fond childhood memories.

We would love to hear from individuals about the importance of grandfather clocks or grandmother clocks, and the value or dimension it added to their house and home and experiences growing up.

And do not be too surprised when someone asks you for a truly different ideal anniversary present or the perfect anniversary gift or present for their bridal registry if the answer is, of course, a grandfather clock, whether new or antique, or traditional or contemporary.

Howard Miller Limited Edition Grandfather Clocks

some of the best grandfather clocks available