Have you ever been confused by the terms grandfather clocks and floor clocks?  Have you ever even heard of the term floor clock?  Thought of a grandmother clock as a floor clock? well, they really are all different forms of and names for  grandfather clocks clocks.

The single biggest distinction between grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks is their height.  We tend to say any grandfather clock below 80 inches or so could be considered a grandmother clock.  They may, or may not, look more demure or petite as well. It’s worth noting that experts in clocks will have differences of opinions on this subject.  Get ten clocks experts in a room to discuss this, and you may well get a dozen different opinions.

What about Floor Clocks and Grandfather Clocks? Those two terms are used essentially synonymously, with the term Floor Clock in particular being used by clock companies such as Howard Miller Clocks and Hermle Clocks.  The terms Hall Clocks, not to mention Tall case clocks and longcase clocks are also used frequently.

Have you ever heard about a gasoline powered alarm clock?  What about gasoline powered grandfather clocks with the Energy Star seal of approval from the US Government.

Well, throughout history, as the saying goes, truth can be stranger than fiction.  Unbelievably, the USA Government’s Energy Department’s system for qualifying for the EnergyStar Seal of approval for many products, allowed approval for many products, including the gasoline powered alarm clock and other products, that well, did not actually even exist!  There was also an “air purifier” that was actually an electric space heater with a feather duster pasted on top that also received the right to use the Energy Star Seal of approval.

Congressional Auditors posting as several different companies submitted these and other bogus products to see how effective the vetting process for receiving the EnergyStar seal of approval really was.

In its defense, the program managers said that only preliminary steps were passed in many if not all of the cases, and that a required “human review” had not yet taken place.  That was the case for the gasoline powered alarm clock, among others, said the Agency.  We really wish someone had also submitted a fake diesel powered grandfather clocks application or a water powered wall clocks model.  Or perhaps antique grandfather clocks powered by history.

Watchdogs within the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, among others, have been somewhat cynical of the effectiveness of the program and how helpful it really is it identifying individual products that are truly energy efficient.  As we understand it, at least historically, some companies that qualified for this rating for one product were automatically therefore allowed to advertise the sign on other products that had never been submitted for any testing.

No doubt this program will from now on start to receive the attention and credibility that would greatly benefit consumers and businesses with lower costs and lower world dependence on depleting natural resources.

Very seriously, 1-800-4CLOCKS.com calls for Energy Standards to be considered and implemented by our government, and hopefully international agreement, that over time will be both uniform and help set forward thinking and planning goals that will help us all.  If you agree, please write to your Congressional representatives and President Obama.

As for the gasoline powered alarm clock, don’t hold your breath.  Or on second thought, if you do somehow get a gasoline powered alarm clock, holding your breath may in fact be the best course of action .

Do you ever stop and think about how many times you see clocks while watching television?

We would know this even if we watched no television, as some of our most regular customers are the television networks seeking new or antique clocks — grandfather clocks, wall clocks, and mantle clocks — as background ornamentation for various scenes.  Our grandfather clocks and wall clocks have also been featured in major motion pictures!

On television, it seems that clocks are almost omnipresent in homes and offices.  Take sitcoms.  I can remember seeing clocks on Family Ties, All in The Family, The Bill Cosby Show, Seinfeld, and so so many others.

It would be wonderful to have a pictorial history of all the clocks that have made guest appearances, or in many cases regulars, on the many different television shows and genres.  With the advent of being able to watch television on your PC or Mac, and YouTube, as well as TBS dot com and Hulu dot com, an inspired individual could take this project on himself or herself.  We would be very interested in seeing snapshots of the “family clocks” that show up in many of the television shows over the years.  This would make a great virtual museum.

Any takers out there?  We would be delighted to assist in some way to make this happen.

Then we can move onto the movies, and cataloging the clocks in the major motion pictures and cinema would indeed be time well spent.

Ever since I was a child, I have found that I am able to wake myself up almost to the minute, when I set my mind to it.  The number of times that i woke off just before the alarm clock went off numbers easily into the thousands!

As to what to attribute this to, I am honestly somewhat clueless.  I would like to thin that I have a built-in alarm clock, or maybe even a series of grandfather clocks with alarms, that go off just in time for me to wake up.

Furthermore, when I have mentioned this to other people, I have been shocked at how many people report similar experiences.  Is this something you personally have experienced?  I would like to think I have a God-given talent in this area (and this started well before I entered the grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks, and atomic clocks business).

The only time I really really can’t succeed in setting my own internal alarm clock is when I am truly exhausted.

If a person is able to reliably set their own clock, this would have ramifications for many aspects of live.  Even being in the timepiece business, we think this would be exciting.  If nothing else, there would still be a place for decorative quality grandfather clocks, which are used as home decor and office design elements.  The same holds true, really, for Gallery Clocks, Wall Clocks, Mantel Clocks, Atomic Clocks, and Mantle Clocks.

Let us know how many more people are out there with this skill.  Perhaps it is something that could be taught.  And that would make people definitely the most interesting timepiece of all!

We were thrilled to get this grandfather clocks inquiry.  One of the larger Home Developers in North America approached us about the idea of strategically placing grandfather clocks, and maybe even some wall clocks and mantle clocks, in model homes they have for sale, with an option for their customers to purchase a home with a grandfather clock thrown in as a bonus!

They even talked about outfitting certain homes and apartments that were not model homes, with the thought being that these homes and “units” might command a higher purchase price with both an elegant and a lived-in look being added to the home decor by the addition of grandfather clocks.

What do you think?  Would you pay more for an home with one of the nicest Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks or Ridgeway grandfather Clocks?  Or what about Wall Clocks or Mantle Clocks or Atomic Clocks by Hermle Clocks, Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Clocks, Seth Thomas clocks, and the Bulova clock collection.

We found it to be a VERY interesting business proposition.  These builders are looking at it as a joint venture, where we would both share in the cost and win on the upside.  They have brought some of the most skilled interior designers ind interior decorators into the process as well.  Not sure whose idea this was originally.

What do you think?  We’d like to know!

No, a body clock is not some newfangled clock that you wear either in or on or applied to your body — although all are interesting ideas — but rather getting your human body’s actual peak and good performance aligned with one’s sleeping patterns.  We are talking about your body clock and your circadian rhythm.

This is a subject critical to all people in their daily lives.  It is especially important when there are changes in time, like this past weekend’s Daylight’s Savings Time change,or for people who travel through different time zones  such as business executives, holiday travelers, and sports teams.  As an example of its importance, some professional sports teams (NFL, MBA, NBA) even hire physicians to help counsel and adjust the sleeping patterns of their players.  If one thinks about the recent Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, an athlete’s biorhythm, or internal human clock, can be greatly affected if they don’t plan and train accordingly.  Sleeping patterns will matter a lot.  Presumably, melatonin, in addition to whatever doctor’s may prescribe to help an athlete’s body clock, would make a substantial difference in dealing with one’s body clock and adjustment to time.

Exercise is probably amongst the best remedies, but alone will be unlikely to make much of a difference to one’s body clocks.

And do not forget, Standard Time returns November 7.  Have your calendars and clocks and watches by your side.

Did Your Remember this DST change, or were you late for work or school this morning?

Well, it’s the Sunday in Spring after the 2am morning change where we switch from Standard Time to Daylight Savings Time.  Most people remember the “Spring Forward Fall Back” mnemonic to help remember what to do when.  The writer of this Blog Post tried to go to bed an hour earlier last night to help ease into the time change of the loss of the hour’s sleep, or at least time, from our schedule as we move forward until next fall.  Just after winding all of our new and antique grandfather clocks.

The good news is that it will now be lighter, with natural sunshine across the USA, later in the day.  And theoretically at least, we as a country are supposed to use less energy as a result of the extra amount of sunshine, balanced with the mornings being naturally brighter as we move from Winter to Spring. Not sure this has ever been proven in any definitive study, but the basic theory is sound.

Over the years, the US Congress has switched the dates as to when Daylight Savings Time (DST) and Standard Tine (ST) start and stop.  Aside from being time and tempo aficionados, you may wonder how or why we are so keenly aware of this change when it is made by the Government?  Well, one reason is that we sell some clocks which have what is know as an Autoset mechanism.  What this feature does, is automatically move the time forward one hour during the spring at the designated day, and the time backwards one hour on the designated day in the winter.  Sounds straightforward!  Sounds great for our customers too!  But what happens when Congress decides to fiddle with the actual dates when these time changes take place.  Well, this happened just a couple of  years ago, and boy did that cause problems for our customers and us.  All of the sudden, their clocks were changing time forwards and backwards on the wrong days!!

For those customers with the forethought to contact us, we were able to either send replacement movements or completely new clocks which had the NEW correct time and hour and DATE coded into them as to when to make the time change.  Many clocks shoppers and customers, though, contacted us after the problem became apparent.  We were able to make all of the customers eventually satisfied by replacing their clocks with the appropriate movements or replacement wall clocks.   Most of these clocks are used in institutional organizations, such as hospitals clocks, schools clocks, or factory clocks, or corporate clocks throughout an organization.

Atomic wall clocks obviate the need for this potential problem and solutions, as they set their time EXACTLY according to the atomic time on the atomic clock in Fort Collins Colorado.  So it may take an individual clock a few hours to pick up the revised signal, but it is smart enough to make the change by itself for itself.  This is one big advantage of atomic clocks, aside from keeping absolutely incredibly accurate time.  The only downside to the atomic clock is that some may not be able to pick up the atomic signal, particularly if they are in buildings with very thick concrete walls.  This is occasionally as issue for our clocks shopping customers, and we always try to make clocks discount hunters aware of the potential downside when considering this kind of wall clocks.  Happily, in most instances, it’s not an issue or problem.

Now what about the Monday following the change in Daylight Savings Time.  As a clocks shop employee, where we sell many types of grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantel clocks, antique clocks of all kinds, not to mention atomic clocks and Autoset Clocks, I personally dread those Monday mornings?  Why, you might ask?  Well, the reason is that most calls on Monday begin with How do I change the time on my grandfather clock, wall clocks, mantle clocks or whatever clock, new or antique.  This is true regardless whether the brand is Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Clocks, Hermle Clocks, Kieninger Clocks selection, or Bulova clocks,  Antique clocks too — and an antique grandfather clcok wik have special considerations regarding what NOT to do to change the time that will not apply with a newer Howard Miller grandfather clock or one of the Ridgeway or Hermle grandfather clocks.

Maybe I will take tomorrow off  .  But nope, I love clocks of all kinds, and like-love most all of the clocks shoppers, whether they are always looking for discount grandfather clocks or grandfather clocks on sale.

What was that clocks vow I took — “for better or worse”,  “in sickness and in health, including changes in Daylight Savings Time”.

We at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com will be open tomorrow to help all of our past and present grandfather, wall, mantle, autoset, atomic, mantel, and antique clocks shoppers.

p.s. be sure not to not forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.  The semi-annual changes in time with DST are a great time to do that.  Also, you may want to look at how many years old your smoke detectors are, and whether it is time to invest in new ones which will both (hopefully) definitely work and have the latest in technology.  It could just save the lives of you and your loved ones!

When shopping for grandfather clocks, one needs to keep in mind the alternate terminology for grandfather clock, such as floor clocks, longcase clocks, tall-case clocks, grandmother clocks, and, yes, sometimes even hall clocks.

So perhaps it is not too surprising that when talking about table clocks or desktop clocks or shelf clocks, all of which can be used reasonably synonymously, there is also the term mantel clocks that is used perhaps most commonly.  Even of more interest and relevance is that the term mantel clocks is spelled just about as frequently as mantle clocks.  Both spellings are about equally popular, and are used both in North America as well as Western Europe with both spellings.  We used to think that mantle clocks was simply a more European spelling for mantel clocks, but careful study and observation suggests both clocks terms have taken hold across a wide swath of geographical locations.

Which term do you find to be most descriptive for this category of clock – table clock, desktop clock, shelf clock or mantle-mantel clock?  We like all and have just somehow assumed that the mantel-mantle clock nomenclature, which seems to be the standard according to most manufacturers of high quality clocks.  What’s your opinion?  Which term best reflects this.  Don’t forget about bracket clocks too!  The bracket clock is a term which we believe was reasonably standard in England during the 1700s and 1800s and early-mid 1900s.  Of course there was-is also the term tambour clock, also known as a Napoleon’s Hat clock, for those with that special design.  While we use the terms bracket clocks and tambour clocks frequently, especially when referring to antique clocks.  Yet we rarely hear American customers, especially those shopping for new grandfather or wall or mantel clocks use the alternate type of clock speak noted above.

And how about wall clocks?  There are gallery clocks, railroad station clocks, atomic wall clocks which are also know as radio controlled frequency clocks, not to mention the specialty wall clocks including cuckoo clocks and wall skeleton clocks.

Let us know which term for tabletop or desktop clocks most speaks to you.  Should we stick with the mantel clock and mantle clock variation, or be more bold and trendsetting in the clock industry.

Over time,  we have weighed in on the strengths, weaknesses, and commonalities of the various makers of grandfather clocks, mantle clocks and wall clocks.

Now we are asking for your opinions as to the best makers of wall clocks, mantel clocks and grandfather clocks.

Here are the categories:

GrandfatherClocks:  and Grandmother Clocks too!

Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks

Hermle Grandfather Clocks

Bulova Grandfather Clocks

Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks

Kieninger Grandfather Clocks

We would encourage you in this case to supply your own criteria for rating grandfather clocks. We look forward to hearing from many floor clocks and grandfather clocks enthusiasts.

Mantle Clocks:  Mantel Clocks maker categories include -

Bulova Mantel Clocks

Howard Miller Mantel Clocks

Hermle Mantel Clocks

Ridgeway Mantel Clocks

Seth Thomas Mantel Clocks

Kieninger Mantle Clocks

Included in this category are mechanical chiming mantel clocks, quartz chiming mantle clocks, quartz time only mantel clocks, and others.  We look forward to your input!

Wall Clocks:

Wall clock categories and makers here include

Howard Miller Wall Clocks

Hermle Wall Clocks

Seth Thomas Wall Clocks

Bulova Wall Clocks

Kieninger Wall Clocks

Ridgeway Wall Clocks

Categories within here include Atomic Wall Clocks, Gallery or oversized wall clocks, mechanical chiming wall clocks, quartz chiming wall clocks, quartz rime only wall clocks, wrought iron wall clocks, decorative wall clocks, and indoor outdoor wall clocks.  We would also include combination barometers and wall clocks in this category.

What do you think?  We very much want your input, and we will figure out the best way to present the results for grandfather clocks, wall clocks, and mantel clocks.  It will be quite interesting to see how they differ from the best selling brands and types of grandfather clocks, mantle clocks, wall clocks.  Atomic clocks may be a special focus, especially because of their increasing popularity.

As we ring in 2010, we thought we might look forward in time by looking backwards.  Sound strange?  Well, here is the thinking.  If we know what are the top 10 Features that people most want in their grandfather clocks, mantel clocks, atomic clocks, wall clocks, etc., it will help us all to offer clocks to better meed the clocks sale needs of customers everywhere.

Here is our guess at a Top 10 clocks features list.  We would love input and look forward to sharing it over time.

1.  Clocks on sale or clocks discount.   Sorry, but had to get this one out of the way, even though it may not technically be a clocks feature.  We know it’s top of mind of most consumers shopping for discount grandfather clocks and other clocks, so we thought we would get it out of the way (and remember our Low Price Guarantee!).

2. Atomic time.  Atomic clocks, formerly and still also known as radio controlled clocks, are an incredible innovation in timekeeping accuracy.  Gone are the days when workers argue about when the 5pm quitting time really begins, and gone are the days of hospital workers who may have to note the time of death (sorry on such a cheery subject, but a reality, and a good example) with no issue of accuracy.

3. Automatic night time shut-off on grandfather clocks, mantle clocks, and wall clocks.  Customers who purchase clocks with this feature have the HUGE advantage of having their clock shut off its chime automatically every night at, say, 10pm, and start up again the next morning at, say 7am.  Some customers have commented on how helpful this feature can be if they have a clock in a room in which visitors sleep over.  They have the option of turning the chime off.  Others just love it because they think or fear the sound-chimes might bother them.  it really a personal choice, but it is a great one to have.

4. Illuminated Dials.  While not new in general, this feature is reasonably new to some high-end models of grandfather clocks, most notably some Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks.  Some have illuminated interiors as well.  The big advantage is one can see both the clock’s time, and the clock and dial, even when the light is out.  It is cool!  The only downside is that the clock needs to be near an electrical outlet.  But this is a reasonably new feature many people love.

5. Ave Maria and ode to Joy Chimes.  In very recent years, the high-end clock makers have introduced movements that many times in addition to the Westminster Chimes, offer one or both of the Beethoven ode to Joy and/or Schubert Ave Maria Chimes.  While the Westminster Chimes has been the overwhelming favorite for decades, even when customers have triple chime grandfather clocks, there are many many excited customers eager to also have one or both of their Ave Maria and Ode to Joy Chimes on their Clocks.  And these have been made available not only on quartz movement mantel clocks and wall clocks, but also on some grandfather clocks as well, such as the Howard Miller Clayton Grandfather Clock Model 610-950 (610950) .  We expect this feature with these chimes to be much more popular in the coming decade.

6. Customization of clocks, especially custom or customized atomic wall clocks.  We have seen an increasing desire on the part of businesses and other organization to have atomic clocks, which were addressed above, but with dials that are customized to their needs.  While this might seem simple, many clock manufacturers have stumbled in this area.  We have been able to address this issue with some special design approaches.  And customized atomic clocks for home and office and other organizations will only increase in popularity!

7. Contemporary grandfather clocks.  Many people, and we do not agree with this thought, but nonetheless, many people think of grandfather clocks as very traditional and perhaps out of date for today’s times.  We hear this at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com quite frequently.  Despite the fact that we think there is nothing more beautiful than a traditional or contemporary grandfather clock, and that it adds great home decor value and should be recognized as a treasured piece of furniture, some people are “turned on” only by the contemporary grandfather clocks.  We’ve had clocks of ours of a contemporary nature featured both in TeenVogue as well as on a National NBC Home Rescue show.  Contemporary is here to stay, and will open up many new avenues and new demand.

8.  PC or computer or iPhone or Cell Telephone Clocks.  To be writing about this subject and not recognize the reality that people are seeing the time in many more ways than they ever have before, whether it be on their Apple Mac or PC or iPhone or iPod or simply a basic cell phone (and we’ll mention Google’s Droid phone here too, because we like Google).  Gone are the days of Victorian England when Parliament had to legislate Public Clocks and Pub clocks so the masses would know what time it is.  We believe that the home decor and collectible value of clocks of all types will mean that they will be in homes and offices for many generations to come.  it’s interesting that very recent studies show that with so many sources for time, clocks and watches still receive 90%+ of the views when an individual is seriously interested in knowing what time it is.

9. Clocks for Special Needs or Special Markets.  Technology is allowing clocks to be made which are leaps and bounds ahead in serving individuals with special requirements.  For those who are hard of hearing or have difficulty waking up in the morning, clocks are know available which will not only shake your bed, but they will also have varying forms of strobe lights, AND they have alarms that will knock your socks off, literally and figuratively.  For people who are vision impaired, the shaking and the piercing sounds can be an amazing blessing.  We plan to be carrying these types of clocks very soon.

10. Green clocks.  Would you believe that there is a clock on the market that literally runs on water.  And it’s an LED clock, not tied to a bucket.  We will right more about this amazing clock, and may soon carry it. And solar clocks are making headway in the market.  we expect to see a lot more.

So what do you think?  Will we soon have a solar powered atomic customizable grandfather clocks selection? Which features are most important?  What new ones should we be looking at?  PLEASE share your views with us so that we may serve you better!