Clocks
There are many different types of clocks that can be found in the world today. Each of them has the ability to show what time it truly is, and keep that time so that a person might know it whenever they choose. However, not all clocks are the same. There are several different types of clocks that are important to understand.
Grandfather Clocks
Grandfather clocks are the largest types of clocks that might be seen in a person’s home. These are large, free standing clocks, and are used to keep time. Most of the time, it is possible to see the clock keeping time through the glass door in the front. Most of the time, Grandfather clocks are much taller than the average person. They display the time on the top of the clock, and often have a deep-sounded noise to accompany the changing of the hour.
Mantel Clocks
Mantel clocks have been around for many years. They are decorative clocks that traditionally sat on the mantel pieces in a person’s home. They are clocks that are decorative but are also useful, as they keep time. Many times mantel clocks are quite distinguished looking and beautiful.
Cuckoo Clocks
Cuckoo Clocks come from Europe, and they are clocks that mark the passing of the hour with a bird or another animal that pops out of a door at the top of the clock. These clocks where once seen as novelties, but are very useful as they do keep excellent time. They are also usually found to be highly cultural items, as cultures all over the world have different versions of their own cuckoo clocks. These clocks are smaller than both mantel clocks and grandfather clocks, and are usually hung on a wall. They have tassels which hang down to mark the time as the time passes.
Alarm Clocks
Alarm clocks are most traditionally seen in a person’s bedroom, but can be seen in any area of the house or workplace. They are clocks that have an alarm function. A person can set the time of the alarm on the clock, and when the clock reaches that time an alarm will sound. These clocks are most often used for waking people up in the morning. They can be wind up alarm clocks, battery operated alarm clocks, or plug-in alarm clocks. Newer versions also have clock radios that can be set as well.
A well-made grandfather clock is an heirloom piece, designed to be handed down from generation to generation. As such, they are made to last over several lifetimes. In fact, some grandfather clocks from the 1700s and 1800s are still in existence today. With such a long lifespan, it is inevitable that grandfather clocks will occasionally need repair.
If your grandfather clock needs repair, first check to see if it is under warranty. Most new clocks come with some type of limited warranty. If it is still under warranty, read the terms of the warranty carefully. Most will have specific procedures to follow for repairs. Grandfather clock repair is available at local clock repair shops. To find one, look in your local yellow pages. You could also do an internet search for “grandfather clock repair in [town].”
If you would like to try to fix your clock yourself, visit the website entitled “How to Repair Clocks.” It gives some tips on such items as “pendulum will not swing,” “runs too fast or slow,” “chimes out of sequence,” and “weights refuse to fall.” The website also offers instructional videos on how to repair clocks. If all else fails, they have a nationwide directory of clock repair shops.
If you need to replace a broken part, some companies or individuals do sell grandfather clock parts. The How to Repair Clocks website offers a short list of companies who sell clock parts. Grandfather clock parts are sometimes available at online auction sites.
If your grandfather clock movement stops working, you can buy a replacement movement at companies specializing in clock movements. While grandfather clock movement repair is available, it is usually less expensive to replace rather than fix.
Whether you are interested in fixing your clock yourself or hiring someone else to do it, there are an abundance of resources available.
Vera Sang asked:
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The same antique clocks may be called various names by different experts depending on what region of the world they live in, which can get really confusing. For example, what the British call a “bracket clock” is actually identical to what American dealers call “shelf clocks” or “mantle clocks.”
The family of antique clocks can be looked as a collection of specific groups of clocks. You can break it down into several groups, or families. Take beehive clocks, which can either be gothic beehives or ripple beehives. Conversely, the term “drop trunk” clock is actually an umbrella term that comprises schoolhouse clocks, act of parliament clocks, wall regulators, tavern clocks, short drop clocks, octagon clocks, and so on.
Advertising clocks is the collective term for clocks used for promotional purposes that display advertising somewhere on the clock dial or case. The clock might also be used as part of the advertising, as when a clock is incorporated into a larger sign. Most commonly found as wall clocks or shelf clocks; more rarely as Long-case or ‘Grandfather’ clocks. These are great antique wall clocks.
Human beings are fascinated by time, and the passage of time. It is that deep interest that has led to seemingly mundane inventions such as the alarm clock. People’s need to measure time and use time have led to technological advances over 6 millenia.
Invented in the latter part of the thirteenth century, most likely by monks living in central Europe, the earliest mechanical clocks had no pendulums and were situated inside churches. They sounded bells hourly but did not have dials or hands.
In order to make better use of the church bell already in place, these mechanized devices were installed in the church belfry. One hundred years later, dials and hands were added. The clocks from this era were huge, and made from very heavy metal materials forged by local metal smiths. Smaller clocks suitable for homes began appearing around the fifteenth century. Today, these antique clocks are very valuable in the antiques market.
As cuckoo clocks have been around since 1730 and have always been manufactured by gifted artists and skilled craftsmen, many of the older pieces that have been even minimally cared for are still in existence today. A well-preserved cuckoo clock from the 18th or 19th century can bring a king’s ransom at any of the prestigious auction houses around the world. Bidding can easily get up into the millions for a certified, pristine Schneider cuckoo clock in perfect working condition. Available in auction houses and high-priced boutiques around the world, antique cuckoo clocks are prized for their hand carved scenes, whimsical displays and attractive facades.
The familiar “cuckoo” sound on the half hour and on the hour never fails to turn heads. There is something about the unique call of the cuckoo, a bird that lays her eggs in the nests of other birds and then abandons her young to be raised by others, that hits a harmonious chord in the human psyche. Surely there are better behaved birds to signal the arrival of a new hour, and certainly any number of our aviary friends utter sweeter sounds that could have been employed to usher in that eagerly anticipated lunch hour. For some reason, the cuckoo clock became a worldwide phenomenon during a time when one part of the world was hardly aware of the goings in another.
The cuckoo clock was comparable to the automobile of its era, or the airplane of its time. Any well preserved, functioning example of its humble beginnings is worth a king’s ransom today. Even on Ebay where items are sold as cheaply and quickly as possible, true antiques are sometimes listed for many thousands of dollars before the bidding is even close to being finished. If you’ve got an antique cuckoo clock, take good acre of it and, should the need arise, it will take good care of you.