We like to think of our 2 blogs www.ClocksBlog.com and this blog www.GrandfatherClocksBlog.com as the ultimate guide to comparing grandfather clock brands and THE Grandfather Clock Buying Guide, helping consumers to understand the different grandfather clock styles, including traditional vs contemporary grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks, knowing at least some of the differences between the best grandfather clock brands, understanding the features that may or may not be in a grandfather clock, including the grandfather clock chimes, knowing who are the best makers of mechanical grandfather clock movements, understanding the different types of grandfather clocks movements – whether it be quartz chain-driven, cable-driven or tubular chimes, and understanding the more recent and older and ever-changing history of grandfather clock manufacturers and grandfather clock makers.

This is a very tall grandfather clock order, yet we believe we have here a veritable treasure trove of information that would be useful for anyone in the market for a grandfather clock.  Whether you are thinking about purchasing an antique grandfather clock, a vintage grandfather or grandmother clock, or whether you are trying to understand the marketplace in general and whether to buy a new grandfather clock, we at 1-800-4CLOCKS are there for you both with these blogs, with many grandfather clock resources available on our website at 1-800-4CLCOKS.com, and we are always only a toll free phone call away at 1-800-4CLOCKS, and are delighted to talk with anyone who is serious about being in the market for a grandfather clock or grandmother clock, not to mention mantle clocks, cuckoo clocks, wall clocks, atomic clocks, and so much more.

We spend a lot of time to delving into the history of grandfather clocks themselves, the evolution of the major grandfather clock brands and how that has changed over time, and continues to be ever-changing.  We attempt to demystify the many features offered on many grandfather clocks, including illuminated dials, automatic nighttime shut-off, working vs faux moonphase dials and so much more.  The grandfather clock chimes are another key element that any thoughtful grandfather clock buyer will want to understand completely, and we address not only the different mechanical grandfather clock movement makers, as well as triple chime grandfather clocks vs single generally Westminster Chimes Grandfather Clocks, and when and where one might expect to see some of the less common grandfather clocks songs or chimes such as Beethoven’s Ave Maria or Schubert’s Ode to Joy.

Understanding the differences within and between grandfather clock brands, such as Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks compared to the Hermle Grandfather Clock collection, or Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, Kieninger Clocks and Americana Grandfather Clocks.  All have pros and cons, and many have big differences even within their own grandfather clock line.

We even include some of the most popular posts about grandfather, grandmother, wall, mantle, cuckoo, atomic and other clocks on our main website, which we term the Best of, like Greatest grandfather clock Hits of music, for posts that our customers and readers have found especially useful.  We have one post on our grandfather clock blog which is titled Moving Grandfather Clocks, and that page is the single most visited page on our website.  We warrant the advice for what you as a customer pay for it, which is nothing, yet we have never had a negative comment or even any suggestions for changing this grandfather clock blog greatest hit of all time.

Any grandfather clock or other timepiece subjects you would like us to cover?  Just make a Comment to this post, or send us an email, or feel free to call us toll-free.  If you want to become a grandfather clock blog contributor, that is something to which we are also always open.

Dual-time display, made popular by Pan Am pilots, has made a prominent return.

The Swiss watchmaker collaborates with Hermes on a limited-edition timepiece that runs almost indefinitely

Architect Lee F. Mindel returns to the city where he trained to be an architect

In early-20th-century America, two powerful men were engaged in a contest to possess the world’s most remarkable watch.

Most all mechanical new and antique clocks, including a basic cable-driven or chain-driven grandfather clock, have a movement that is driven importantly by a pendulum swinging back and forth.  The very definition of a grandfather clock is one in a freestanding case that is both weight-driven and has a pendulum moving in beat from side-to-side.

Nowadays, many clocks offered by even the highest end manufacturers like Howard Miller Clocks and Hermle Clocks and the Ridgeway Clock Company also offer quartz-driven clocks, including grandfather clocks, grandmother clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks and even cuckoo clocks that have a clock pendulum that is quartz or battery driven and yet the pendulum on the clock still simulates the movement of a mechanical clock, frequently with the help of a magnet based mechanism.

There are certain mechanical clocks, particularly antique carriage clocks and some antique mantel clocks and antique wall clocks that have what is known as a platform escapement, and these great movements do not require or use a pendulum to help the clock run.  In the case of carriage clocks, this is a space saving device.  These clocks tend to be also of excellent quality, with the only drawback being that it can be harder to fix or replace a platform escapement movement, especially if the balance staff is broken.  These mechanical clocks are similar to pocket watches in that regards.  And not surprisingly, for both antique clocks and antique pocket watches, replacement parts can be hard to find and require a special skill on the part of the timepiece repair-person.

Another interesting facet of pendulum clocks is whether the pendulum is visible to anyone viewing the clock at a time other than winding.  Many new and antique grandfather clocks quite purposefully have a glass door in the front so that the pendulum as well as the weights of the clocks can be readily seen.  Not uncommon, especially with antique clocks, is to have a solid door where the viewer or owner will not see the pendulum or weights driving the clock mechanism.  Many of the older antique grandfather clock pendulums and weights are actually in our view quite ugly, and there is a good reason not to make them visible.

Interestingly, not only on new grandfather clocks and new grandmother clocks, but also on mantel clocks and especially on wall clocks, being able to view the pendulum and weights are very much part of the design, whether the clocks are mechanical or quartz-driven.  Worthy of note if looking at a new quartz grandfather clock, is that while the pendulum’s movement may simulate that of a mechanical grandfather clock, the weights will almost always be for decorative purposes only and will not move either up or down.

One interesting side-note about pendulum grandfather clocks is that one innovation which has taken on some momentum, and which we are strongly urging grandfather clock makers to make more available, minimally as an optional additional feature, is having a crystal center of the pendulum bob.  This is one innovation we at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com plan to make much more widespread either with or without the grandfather clock makers.  A grandfather clock pendulum of this type adds a very special sparkle to the home in which it lives. with that sparkle adding to the grandfather clock as the heartbeat of the home.

Pendulum Grandfather Clocks by Howard Miller Clocks

Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks

As a long-time leading retailer of grandfather clocks, we are frequently asked for our grandfather clock catalog.  This is especially true because of our roots in direct marketing as a grandfather clock catalog retailer with a memorable toll-free number.  Of course we have always sold and featured wall clocks, mantel clocks, cuckoo clocks, grandmother clocks, atomic clocks, antique grandfather clocks, and antique timepieces of all sorts including pocket watches and some amazing antique grandmother clocks, regulators, congreve clocks, inclined plane clocks, automata, sterling silver sundial-compass combinations and much more.

Antique clocks always present a special challenge to market in a catalog, as any experienced auction house knows.  There is almost always just one of the antique clocks or watches for sale, so listing these timepieces with a fixed price can create many headaches.  Yet at the same time, despite the currently appearing ubiquitous presence of auctions online and off, from eBay to Christies to Sothebys, many buyers and sellers prefer the old fixed price antique market model, much like one would find in a fine antique clock and watch shop.

Many readers of this blog post, the fifty and over generations, will remember to some degree the old Sears and Roebuck Catalog, that literally set the standard for the catalog direct marketing revolution that it began.  Even the Catalogs themselves became collector’s items, as did reprints of the original Sears Catalogs.

However, fast-forward one hundred years into the future, meaning today, and the web and individual websites like 1-800-4CLOCKS.com have taken over as the modern-days Catalogs of choice.  New grandfather clocks and wall clock collections can be added daily.  Grandmother Clocks on backorder can be noted as such so grandmother clocks on backorder will not disappoint customers.  Complete new lines and brands can be added in a day.  Consumer expectations about the customer shopping experience have gone through the roof, as grandfather clock shoppers and those searching for wall clocks discounts and mantel clocks on sale expect that anything they see on a website for sale is absolutely in stock.

Grandfather clock makers such as Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Grandfather Clock Collection, Kieninger Clocks, and Hermle Floor Clocks are much better then ever before about providing more current inventory data.  Yet at the same time, this grandfather clock, wall clock and mantle clock data will not be real time.  And some clocks, including Kieninger Grandfather Clocks and wall clocks and mantle clocks, and some of the Hermle clock models, including Hermle Grandfather Clocks and Mantel and Wall Clocks can have a 2-4 month lead time and are generally considered prepaid custom orders.  This is hard to communicate either in an old-fashioned direct marketing catalog and even in a great website like the one we have at 1-800-4CLOCKS.

The good news is that with the advent of the internet, we are able to offer both selection and savings never before imagined even 20 years ago.  More choices, higher discounts on the best grandfather clocks, better pictures of each clock, and even the ability to hear a specific clock chime and offer supersize pictures can all really recreate the grandfather clock gallery shopping experience.  A tradeoff is that many fewer of us bricks and mortar-type stores are surviving, especially as new and competing technologies are vying for some of the same shopping dollars that were previous spent on grandfather clocks and wall clocks.  Not only can one see the current time on most any personal computer or MacBook, but also on iPhones and other mobile devices including the Samsung Galaxy.

Having said that, there is nothing that competes with the old world charm of a grandfather clock or wall clock or mantle clocks, whether a new or antique clock.  A grandfather clock is truly the heartbeat of the home.

Renowned Italian jewelry designer Lucia Odescalchi opens a stylish new showroom in Milan

At 1-800-4CLOCKS.com, where we offer the widest selection and savings on all kinds of new and antique grandfather clocks, wall clocks and mantel clocks, we are always on the lookout for any special news story featuring clocks of all types and sizes.

We were recently informed by a customer that some clocks, including a grandfather clock and wall clock, still partially intact, reached the shores of the western continental USA, and are thought to be from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated so much of Japan just a little over a year ago. While the mechanisms were mostly all gone and ruined, the grandfather clocks and wall clock cases themselves, while also effectively no longer of use for much of anything, still maintained their overall shape and grandfather clock construction and wall clock case design. These antique clocks effectively acted like a combination of ships and driftwood and different points in their journey. We have yet to see any actual news reports on this, but we are hopeful it may be covered by some of the major media outlets including television and newspapers that have recently done stories on debris washing up on different parts of Hawaii.

Given Japan’s culture and rich history and reverence for antiquities, we know from first-hand experience that many Japanese citizens collect both many types of clocks, including mantle, wall and grandfather clocks, and also pocket watches and even sundials. We have sold many antique clocks to customers in Japan, and we have heard from many individuals who are looking to replace a cherished heirloom clock that may have been in their family for many generations, and they hope they can find one that is nearly identical in form and design if not the very same clock.

When natural disasters strike, including Hurricane Katrina and the more recent Hurricane Sandy, we tend to hear from good numbers of individuals who are looking perhaps not only for insurance claims, but also to replace a treasured item in their home with something that will be meaningful to them. While we most shy away from doing grandfather clock appraisals, and antique clock appraisals in general, because it can be such a murky area, we usually try to help these individuals to the extent we can. Sometimes we get great new customers for grandfather clocks that way, as well as those replacing mantel clocks and wall clocks, but we do it to try to keep the spirit of antique clocks collecting and grandfather clock ownership alive and hopefully thriving in our ever more modern society.

Grandfather clocks, much like a fireplace in Winter, were seen by many families as the gathering spot in the living room around which to congregate. Now that grandfather clocks and mantel clocks have more competition from televisions and computers, not to mention telephones, grandfather clocks are less the heartbeat of the home than they used to be.

We hope to keep the grandfather clock heartbeat tradition and ticking alive in homes around the world through good times and bad, through periods of vast technological progress (think atomic clocks), and with natural disasters that seem to be coming ever more frequently. But let us hope and cherish the safe time together.

When shopping for heirloom quality grandfather clock discounts, educated grandfather clocks customers know to look for weight driven grandfather clocks and floor clocks.  Historically, weight driven clocks, including freestanding floor clocks like grandfather clocks, are the most precise timekeepers.  The weights may require adjustments up or don’t to maximize accuracy, but in the past these timepieces were the best way to tell accurate time.  If there is a grandfather clock with 3 weights, almost always it its the center weight which is driving the timekeeping ability of the grandfather clock.  One of the other weights would be driving the chime portion of the grandfather clocks mechanical movement, and the third weight would be driving the hourly strike or gong grandfather clock mechanism.

Weight driven grandfather clocks can be either cable driven or chain driven.  A cable driven grandfather clock, which is wound in the clock’s face or dial, usually with 3 holes, winding the clock in each hole brings up each of the weights, doing one at a time.  Generally a grandfather clock with this type of movement will last the longer, meaning longer than a chain-driven grandfather clock, which is wound by pulling down on the 3 chains one at a time, again with each weight performing the same function.  Chain-driven grandfather clocks are favored by many, they are usually much less expensive, but they have fewer frills and add-on features, and the mechanical grandfather clock movement will not last as long as that of a cable driven grandfather clock.

Both types of grandfather clocks movements, made by high-end German makers such as Hermle Clocks and Kieninger Clocks, will typically last 8 days, so if one winds the clock weekly, it will keep running continuously.  If you forget, it will not harm the clock to wing it up and start it up again, although we always recommend following the guidelines in your grandfather clock instruction manual.  Some of the featured included in many cable-driven movements but not chain-driven movement include things like triple chimes, automatic nighttime shut-off options, rotating vs. faux moondial, and usually larger and taller and more ornate grandfather clock cases.

Another consideration when looking for discount grandfather clocks on sale is that a cable-driven clock, will, in our experience and if not damaged by external forces, and with proper grandfather clock maintenance, should last 50-100+ years.  A chain driven grandfather clock, however, because so much strain is put on the movement being wound by pulling on chains, should though still reasonably last 25-50+ years with proper care and maintenance.  Clock movements can generally be replaced at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a new clock, although one should always consider the investment value of keeping the clock all original if possible.

Who makes these chain-driven weight driven and cable driven weight driven grandfather clocks?  Well, some of the highest end makers include Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, Hermle Clocks and Kieninger Grandfather Clocks.

Interestingly, weight driven wall clocks and less common weight driven mantel clocks generally have all of the same benefits, with the same pros and cons to each kind of movement.

Generally, if looking for the highest quality clocks, whether wall or mantle or grandfather clocks, assuming the maker is one of the good ones, it is difficult to go wrong with a weight-driven clock.  Weight driven wristwatches and watches, not so much!

Howard Miller Layton Grandfather Clock
List: $3,375.00
SALE: $2,362.50

 

Weight Driven Howard Miller Layton Grandfather Clock model 611-118  611118