Earlier today, I was reading a highly regarded periodical which happened to address the subject of the future of the laptop, pc, Mac, Netbooks, and handhelds in general, and the perception of an inevitable march towards a continuous convergence to handheld devices for all of ones communication and computing needs.

Not that this is a radical new theory.  I remember thinking something similar something like 15-20 years ago, and the landscape has shifted mightily many times during these years.  Remember when some people thought fax machines would be the ever-present fixture in one’s home and office (I do, but I never believed it for a second).

The corporate “bloodshed” as these industries continue to converge, and as the technologies also become more powerful, will finally, i believe (easy to throw these things out when predicting anonymously) more consolidation than we have in previous years.  To date, the effect has been mitigated by the enormous leaps in technological power and capabilities (Moore’s Law, etc.), and the corresponding software, hardware, and devices, including entertainment, which have had the market opportunity to fill these new needs.  No doubt there will still be many applications of technologies that can, and in many cases have not even yet been, simply imagined as products of the future.

The core uses of these technologies of voice, data, and pictures will continue to converge, even as amazing new companies and technologies are born and are brought into fruition.

OK, so what does all of this have to do with clocks, much less grandfather clocks, or wall clocks, or desk or mantle clocks?  Good question.  The Story of The Clock, might be condensed from its history as being a beacon in the industrial revolution, helping to make order out of chaos and an important contribution to a Civil Society, and to a point such as in England where it was mandated by law that public clocks had to be visible in every pub and across any certain number of streets.

Nowadays, one can look at one’s iPhone, or TV, or Automobile, PC or Mac, and possibly even a wristwatch.  Yet studies have shown that people with clocks on their desks still look at them 30-40 times a day!  That says that a clock is more than a fashion or design accessory, but a useful dedicated device.  Now old habits die hard, and it is hard to say what future generation will do and want.  But it is clear that clocks as home decor accents and interior decorating for the home or office are hear to stay!

Grandfather clocks, mantel clocks, wall clocks – started out in a way as a necessity – and now are increasingly being relegated to office and home decor, and to those older fashioned among us whom have a hard time, or simply no desire, to part with conventions.

That’s today’s Story of the Clocks.

Our Store, 1-800-4CLOCKS.com, is one of the largest clocks retailers in the world.  We specialize in grandfather clocks, but also stock and sell many wall clocks, mantle clocks, atomic clocks, cuckoo clocks, and on and on.  We carry both new and antique clocks.  Pocket watches too.

The brands we carry include Howard Miller Clocks, Hermle Clocks, Ridgeway Clock Collection, Bulova Grandfather Clocks Collection, and premium Kieninger grandfather parts (custom made to order in Germany and shipped directly to customer, with 2-3 month lead time).  For these same manufacturers, and others crafts makers and artisans, we also carry their lines of wall clocks, mantel clocks, atomic clocks, cuckoo clocks, novelty clocks, and much more.

We have a Low Price Guarantee, where we pledge not to be undersold by any online authorized internet dealer for the major brands we sell (see website for details).  A major problem on the internet today is the plethora of websites claiming to be authorized dealers for the companies they are representing when they are really not.  Some lie outright, and others simply skirt the issue.  The sad reality for people who purchase products from these vendors is that the warranties they think they are getting with their clock will not be valid.  A warranty not only gives piece of mind – it also has the potential to save one many hundreds, or possibly thousands, of dollars in repair bills.

Another ploy used by many marketers include what we call “false calls to action”, with 2 examples being “Sale Ends on Friday” or “50% off” when in the first case the sale may end, only to begin yet again immediately thereafter.  In the second example, we see many retailers artificially raise their prices, even if only for an hour, so that they can them claim significantly deeper percentage discounts than they would otherwise be able to do.  We find both of these practices to be both immoral and highly misleading.  We believe in everyday low prices, and always striving to meet or beat the competition.  Free gifts of a dubious nature or value are also promised by some enterprising sites.

This is less of an issue for the antique clocks we sell, where many items are closer to one-of-a-kind artifacts.  Yet we still see “prices slashed” and tie-ins with giveaways in this market as well, but not the same kind of retail gimmickry we new with the sale of new grandfather clocks, new atomic clocks, mantel clocks, and new wall clocks too.

When purchasing a clock, especially a grandfather clock, many people also do not take into account the many factors in the overall value proposition.  Yes the grandfather clock is important, but how will it be shipped to you, by home, what will they do in your home, will they even bring it into your home or will they leave it at curbside.   What about an in-home clocks set-up — who will do it? How skilled are they?  Might it void the warranty?  What if there is shipping damage?  Manufacturing defects?  Are you fully protected?  How do you know?  These are ALL very critical points, and whom you buy from will determine how well you are taken care of in each of these cases-categories.

Everyday low(est) prices and the best shopping experience and overall value. That’s our recipe for success, and our mantra. Come shop with us.

A grandfather clock has become a very generous, but not uncommon, gift from parents to the bride and groom to be. We have had bridal registry requests for grandfather clocks.  Frequently these are families that have grown up with a grandfather clock in their home, and the parents want their children to have the same heartwarming and heirloom quality feel and presence and warmth that is brought from the addition of a grandfather or floor clock to a living room or some other common area of the new couple’s home.

We have had some customers whom have purchased multiple grandfather clocks, one for each of their children when they got married.  One individual recently purchased his 4th Floor Clock and proudly proclaimed afterwards “I am Done!”  His fourth child was soon to be married.  All had apparently wanted the antique grandfather clock that was in the home in which they grew up, but the parents were neither ready to give up their clock and also did not want to start a family war over this treasured heirloom.  Unfortunately, grandfather clock cloning technology has yet to be perfected , but it’s an interesting idea!  Any genetic scientists out there with a blueprint for how this might be accomplished, please get in touch with us.

A grandfather clock or special mantle clock or wall clock as a present for a milestone anniversary, or even a very special birthday, has also been an increasing trend.  We have seen many couple buy grandfather clocks for 10th, 20th, 25th, 40, and even 50th wedding anniversaries, among others.  Sometimes it is the children of the parents celebrating the special event who purchase this special timepiece.  We have had many purchase high-end grandfather clocks, always looking for a good grandfather clock discount or special clock on sale, for a very special birthday.

We applaud this trend and are excited to share in the joy that these gifts bring to their new owners, as well as the satisfaction of the gift givers and present receivers, whomever falls in whichever category.

Clocks of all types make great presents, and as most people know, are also given by corporations to employees to mark very special employee recognition gift occasions, or as employee retirement gifts. Many of our customers have been buying really nice clocks for years to give as gifts to mark a special time with a special timepiece.  As our registered trademark says, “Add Time to Your Life”™.

Well, we had thought we had heard just about everything!  But just when we think it’s safe to say we have heard everything, well, you know how it goes.  Kind of like just when you think it’s safe to go back in the water.  We never learn.  Or at least the entertainment industry has a vested interest in wanting us to believe that.

This one you have to hear.  A man called from a small town in one of the more populated States in the USA.  This man was not only the Mayor of his town, but he is also the Undertaker, and apparently the only one in town (not that there is anything wrong with that).

Well, he informed us that he needed to order a new clock because a goat had eaten his prized mantel clock.  At first I thought he was joking.   Seriously!  He was not joking.  Apparently, neither the case nor the movement were in any form where any reasonable part of the clock could be salvaged.  And this was an antique Tiffany & Company mantel clock that was a featured and prized possession at his funeral home.  Somehow the goat, which belonged to him, got in the mortuary after hours.  Fortunately the grandfather clock was spared!

We had several email exchanges after our initial phone calls and before he placed his new order.  I believe him.  I really do this time!  Am I crazy? (based on the facts as presented here – no others need to chime in here).  Have you eever heard of anytghing like this ever happening before?

We get many calls from distraught owners of treasured clocks and pocket watches that have been lost in fires and floods.  After Hurricane Katrina, we must have assisted well over 50 families, at no cost to them, to help them document their losses to their insurance company to maximize the chances of replacement value recovery wherever possible.  They were mostly all grandfather clocks.

OK, fire and floods.

Goats eating your clock?  Reminds me of the old excuse used by many kids that the dog ate their homework, or one of its many variations.

What do you think.  We really would like to know!

Recent years have been accompanied by the incorporation of new features and technologies into mechanical grandfather clocks, mechanical mantle clocks, as well as keywound wall clocks.  Some of these same, and additional features, have also been included in the quartz of battery driven versions of wall clocks, mantel clocks, and grandfather and grandmother clocks.

Not all of these added features are included on all models, and even the same general features can have distinct differences between mechanical chiming clocks and their quartz-driven battery-operated counterparts.

One of the most desired features that has been introduced on many grandfather clocks, and those clocks for the wall or mantle too, is automatic nighttime shutoff. Clocks with this feature almost always will also have a chime on-off switch as well, so one can turn the clock chime of during the day as well if so desired, on a day-to-day basis.  This feature is very convenient for those that want to have the chimes during the day, but not during what would be considered the usual and customary hours for sleeping.  The automatic option typically leaves no choice as to when the clocks stop chiming at night and when they start up again in the morning.  It is preset, period.

It is worth noting that the chime on most all new mechanical grandfather clocks chiming and gongs counting the hours  is generally a much lower volume than those from days gone by.  We believe and understand that the manufacturers have done this to appeal to the largest majority of consumers.  And let’s face it — today people’s attentions can be divided in any given room can be divided between a myriad of electronics including other sound making devices.  People can also see the time in many more places than they used to be able to in past times.  So the combination of the two has meant that the greatest mass market acceptance for chiming grandfather clocks and mechanical and chiming wall clocks and mantel clocks has been to lower the volume significantly.  Still, having said that, the auto-night-shutoff-feature is a popular one, and for good reason.

Another feature on some clocks is one or more of lit dials (even backlit dials, e.g. on the Engels Model of the Howard Miller grandfather clock which in this case features a glass frosted dial).

Howard Miller Engels Grandfather Clock
by Howard Miller

Most of the lit dials are simply those with grandfather clocks with lights shining on the front of the dial, some shining through holes purposefully made in the dial, and also lights in the cabinets to also give the grandfather clocks that illuminated feeling.  It is worth noting that clocks with this feature also need to be near an electrical outlet as this feature of lighting is completely independent of the movements, at least in the clocks that we sell and built to date.

Chimes innovations have also taken place on grandfather clocks, as well as wall clocks and mantle clock, in recent years.  While still a minority, more and more both mechanical and quartz clocks are offering the Schubert Ave Maria and/or Beethoven Ode to Joy Chimes almost always in addition to the Westminster Chime and generally in place of the Whittingon Chime and St. Michaels Chime.  These alternative chimes are highly sought after by many clock buyers.  Very few of the mechanical models offer this as an alternative, but some buyers seek those specific models out for that very reason.  We expect to see more and more mechanical chiming grandfather clocks offering one or more the the Ave Maria or Ode to Joy Chimes in addition to the Westminster Chime in the years to come.

Quartz or battery driven clocks have an added feature on their chiming clocks, which is that the volume is adjustable.  For practical purposes, and despite what many people (including “experts”) will say, the chiming volume of a mechanical grandfather clock is for most all practical purposes NOT adjustable.  Completely separately, the sound quality of a mechanical chime is superior almost always to that of a quartz clock, the reason being one is hearing the actual sound of the hammers striking the chime rods, as opposed to the recording one hears on a quartz chiming clock.  This is true whether the clock in question is a grandfather clock, a grandmother clock, a mantel clock, or a wall clock.

Many times the features enhance the grandfather or wall or mantle clock, but they do not make the clock.  In our view this is true for all of the features that have been added over the last century.

Remember the movies which have an older and eerie painting of a person with eyes that seem to follow you across and around the room?  I remember many such movies and television shows over the years.  Mystery novels too, and even if I recall correctly, in Disneyworld and Disneyland.  Some times there are actual characters watching behind those paintings, and sometimes, well, it simply remains a mystery.

Well, here’s a twist on that old idea.  What if a grandfather clock, say from the 1700s, or even 1980, could talk and/or some how replay some of the more interesting things that it “heard” or “saw” over many generations.  What about one that made the journey to the New World from from Great Britain.  Perhaps it lived through the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World World War I, World World II and on and in between.

Oh the History it could show, and the Stories it could tell or show would be simply spectacular and amazing.  Not long ago, we sold a British Grandfather Clock by a noted maker that had been made circa 1690.  Recognizing that grandfather clocks, or longcase or tallcase clocks as they were known in the Old World and back at that time, were first introduced in around the year 1650.  We figured this grandfather clock, which in some ways showed its age and in other ways defied time, could have been owned by something like 40 generations of individuals.  Talk about heirloom quality grandfather clocks!  It ended up going to a great collector, who took a strong personal interest in that particular grandfather clock.

Would not that make, potentially, a truly remarkable or interesting book?  If you take the idea, please give us a credit or thank you somewhere – maybe even dedicate the book or movie to us!

One chapter could be on a different family.  Or there could be vignettes mixed through the same or several generations.  Content from the world outside brought indoors, which certainly happens in real life, could be an integral part.  Civil War elements, or World War II, could each provide tragically rich and interesting material to work with time in and time out.

I think i need to sign off know and contact my literary agent.  Remember you read it here first.

If one asks the average clock shopper what are the very best brands of clocks out there historically, including grandfather clocks, mantel clocks, and wall clocks, the answers given will be all over the map.  Interestingly, though, one can be sure that much of the time one will here of Tiffany & Company as the best maker of clocks.

Well, Tiffany Clocks are an interesting place to start, especially when looking back over time and also including antique clocks.  Over time, and we honestly are not certain about today’s practices, but historically Tiffany never made there own grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantel clocks, carriage clocks, cartel clocks, or even desk clocks.  The Company sourced out its clock making as well as Tiffany pocket watch making to different companies, generally all of whom were considered high-end.  Some early Tiffany Grandfather Clocks were actually made by the Waltham Clock and Watch Company, frequently unsigned by the actual maker.  Others we know of were made by Elliot of London, Herschede, Walter Durfee, and Winterhalder & Hoffmeier, among other.  Many mantel clocks were actually made by Japy Freres or Samuel Marti, among many others.  Pocket watches were made by companies as diverse as Patek Philippe, Longines, and the Concord Watch Company, all of excellent quality, though some would argue quality to varying degrees.  The older clocks were generally made in smaller groups, and to our knowledge Tiffany did not keep records of exactly what made whom when [note to Tiffany & Co. - please feel free to set the record straight by adding a comment or contacting us directly to adderess].  Our understanding is that they were also made in small groups.  And though the Tiffany name was-is proudly displayed on the clock, they were actually “only” the retailer of the clocks.

Not that this is-was a new practice.  In Britian in the 1800s, it was standard practice for many clock retailers, and many pocket watch makers as well, to put their own name of the dial of the clock, with varying practices about hopww much information did or did not go on the movement.  So there was no funny business going on here, simply carrying on a long-held tradition in the retailing industry!

What about other well known names like Cartier Clocks, Seth Thomas, Ingraham Clocks, Simon Willard Clocks and Aaron Willard Clocks, Howard Miller, Ridgeway Clocks, Hermle Clocks, Kieninger Clocks, Gustav Becker clocks, Leinzkirk clocks, Warren Telechron Clocks, General Electric, Self Winding Clock Company Clocks, E Howard and Company Clocks, and so many more.

It is interesting that the value of some antique clocks today may be a casualty opf the succcess and durability of particular manufacturers.  In particular we think of Seth Thomas, which made great clocks, is Amrerica’s oldest Clock Company, and was probably the most prolific.  However, because they made their clocks built to last, we believe their prices as collectibles have been severely tempered simply as a result of supply and demand.  There are still simply so many people out there with working Seth Thomas Clocks.

What about English clockmakers.  The list of great British clockmakers is too long to even begin to enumerate.  So we will take the cowardly way out and simply skip over this vast and rich subject and history.  Among German clocks, some of the clockmakers we like the best are Gustav Becker and Winterhalder & Hoffmeier.  It is important to note that we are glossing over many GREAT master clocksmiths who may have made the most fantastic clocks, but did so in smaller numbers.  The farther back one goes in history, the more true this is.  In England, just as an example of this one point J.W. Benson and Edward Dent (the creator of Big Ben) made clocks in vastly smaller numbers than more contemporary British makers, e.g. Elliot of London.

WHom do you think makes the best clocks?  Today, many would argue that Howard Miller Clocks and Hermle Clocks, along with Ridgeway Clocks and Kieninger, and Bulova Clocks are among the leaders.  And NOT coincidentally, these are among the brands that are featured and sold by 1-800-4CLOCKS.

Howard Miller Grandfather Clcoks have been the high-end market leader in grandfather clocks over the last generation.  The Ridgeway Grandfather Clock collection, Hermle Floor Clocks, Bulova Grandfather Clcoks, and Kieninger Grandfather Clocks, among others, all seem to have gained some traction in recent years. We believe they are all of excellent quality and worksmanship, with mostly all solid wood cases and high-end German 8 Day mechanical clocks movements.

The history of grandfather clocks and clock history in general will continue to evolve in the years and decades to come.

One interesting dunamic is the relatively recent flood of what we view as poorer quality imports from the Far East.  We fully expect to see some better quality and more competition in this area in the years to come.

We welcome your comments as to whom you would add to the best of clocks list.  Think of this as the beginning of time.

1-800-4CLOCKS gets dozens of calls every day from individuals wanting to know “how much” their clock is worth. Even more complicated is people who call who already have had appraisals done on their grandfather clocks, wall clocks or mantle clocks. Aside from the fact that our website states we charge $100 an hour for research on clocks, all of us could spend all of our time researching clocks and answering fielding questions.

Aside from the fact that most people wanting to know how much their clock is worth are looking to sell it, and as dealers in antique and new grandfather clocks, mantel clocks and wall clocks, we would have an obvious conflict of interest in providing objective valuations, this does not deter the calls. Even worse, while there are some reputable appraisers out there, we find the large majority are appraising clocks and pocket watches for values much higher than the individuals would ever reasonably attain, even when looking at replacement value for clocks and watches, which is almost always the highest value anyone could justify for the timepiece.

And how does one value a timepiece? Aside from the most obvious fact today that we are living in difficult economic times where so many are looking to sell something of perceived value, and most all individuals are willing to pay much less than they have in recent years, there are also other clocks valuation factors at work. There is the Sotheby’s and Christies valuation, which generally require the clock to be perfect inside and out and as we understand it, may charge both upfront fees, e.g. for photos, and have a significant commission percent as well added to the eventual price (and no doubt factored in by prospective buyers). Then there is always the “replacement value”, which can be made to be quite high, especially for somewhat more unusual clocks or clocks or other timepieces with rare features. Then there is the what we call sitting in a high-end Antique Store for a Year price, which could be high. Another is selling it on eBay, marketing it well with great pictures and by a well-respected seller (remember fees and time cost apply as well here). Then there is simply putting it on eBay in a “throwing it out there” style, maybe well or not well described. There is also selling it locally, whether on Craigslist or perhaps even on consignment with a local shop. And don’t forget the garage sale or flea market sale, where many old clocks and other timepieces are actually sold.

The condition of the clocks or timepieces plays a critical role in its potential valuation, and more often than not, we find people have little knowledge of whether “grandfathers clock” even works, much less how to describe it or what clock model or pocket watch size or movement or case material (e.g. platinum, 18k gold, 14k gold, gold plated, sterling silver, etc.) it might be.

And don’t forget about counterfeit or reproduction clocks and watches and the risks posed by those. This is an increasing problem, with many better clocks coming from China, India, Western Europe, and no doubt the USA as well. Sometimes these clocks are “half-real” with original movements but reproduction cases, or vice versa.

And even with all of the above, prices actually realized can vary and be VERY hard to predict even when when has a good handle on all the variables. Another way of saying this is that the clock is worth as much as an individual or organization is willing to pay at that moment in time and under that set of circumstances, and based on the terms offered. One can make an educated assessment, but the reality may vary over time with EVERY OTHER FACTOR being identical.

Back to Appraisals — there are organizations out there that certify Appraisers, and some are considered to be as we understand it quite respectable.  We will in a future blog post include a list of those whom we understand to be most reputable.

We at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com are ready to DEAL!

As the state of the USA Governments somewhat controversial Cars Allowance Rebate Program (CARS) Cash for Clunkers Program (which we think is great!) is in a state of uncertainty, we wanted to let the world know that we will be willing to accept Clunkers for Clocks or Clocks for Clunkers.  Even Pocket Watches too!

While this may seem in jest, we are serious about willing to be consider accepting trade-ins of those old antique grandfather clocks, wall clocks, and mantle clocks as partial payment for brand new “fuel efficient” grandfather clocks and more.

Got old pocket watches you don’t know what to do with?  We will in some cases accept those as partial or even complete payment, depending upon the clocks or watches you want to trade in and trade up to.

So look through those old drawers and closets for pocket watches and wristwatches, or the old clocks you have stored in your basement, or maybe even the grandfather clocks in your living room.  We are open to discussing any reasonable possibility.

Are we former automobile dealers or have we ever been?  Nope, just clock dealers and pocket watch dealers.  Although we love the idea of trading an old clunker automobile for a grandfather clock.  Barack Obama take note!

Growing up in the great US of A, the poster in this Blog has naturally seen a zillion, or perhaps a google, of television episodes where there is a clock that is a mainstay in the background.

Grandfather Clocks in the background come to mind immediately from such shows as The Cosby Show and All in the Family, and the show Full House too!

1-800-4CLOCKS once made a proposal to the New York City based Museum of Broadcasting to work cooperatively to catalog most or all of the clocks – whether grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks, or something else.  While they were quite intrigued at the time, it appeared that Funding did not allow for it to happen, at least just yet.

Movies also reserve special places for grandfather clocks.  There is a children’s book that was made into a movie, a Goosebumps production we recall, where a Grandfather Clock acted as a somewhat villainous time capsule, with some never returning to their current time period.

We welcome input from readers who can comment on what shows or in what books or movies or other media clocks have played a role.  We are especially interested in the role of grandfather clocks.

1-800-4CLOCKS has been asked to supply clocks, including wall clocks and grandfather clocks, for numerous movies and television shots.  One of our Howard Miller Clocks recently played a feature role in one of the Coen brothers movie productions featuring, among others, the great actor William Hurt.

Television shows also come to us on many occasions looking for something special in a clock.  Saturday Night Live once came to us looking for a prop-like grandfather clock that would do something like explode upon impact.  The Tyra Banks Show contacted us seeking 2 cuckoo clocks that had some quite unusual features.  And on and on …. but we never clock and tell .

We are very serious, even if we put it in a time capsule or as an heirloom gift for future generations, we would like to catalog the role of clocks minimally in television, and ideally also in the movies and film.  Anyone out there that might be able to devote some time to a great clocks research project like this, please do let us know.

The world will be richer for it.

In the mean-time, please keep comments coming with your best recollections of seeing a grandfather clock on a particular television show, or a great wall clock or antique mantle clock.

We eagerly await your input.