Yes 1-800-4CLOCKS.com is an Authorized Howard Miller Dealer, which is the only kind of Dealer you want to shop with when looking not only for the greatest selection and savings, but also peace of mind, whether you are looking at discount Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks, Howard Miller Wall Clocks on sale, miller mantel clocks, Howard Miller Atomic Clocks, and any other clock or curio cabinet made by Howard Miller.

Unfortunately, the internet including eBay and Amazon, is littered with Sellers posing to be authorized dealers of Howard Miller products, but many are not.  This means not only are you risking not getting the grandfather clock you ordered, or one of the many counterfeit grandfather clocks out there, but you will also risk getting stuck in the grandfather clock arrives with ANY damage, not to mention a clock customer can forget about having a valid warranty.  As Howard Miller Clocks displays all over its website,  All warranties are null and void if product is purchased from an UNAUTHORIZED internet dealer.   Additionally, Howard Miller points out an authorized dealer can provide valuable, personal service to you after your purchase such as in-home delivery, set-up, and deluxing the product when necessary.

Many grandfather clock shoppers face similar questions and issues if they are considering buying a used vs. new grandfather clock.  The best analogy we can use is in purchasing a used car.  You truly need to know what grandfather clock you are getting, or you may find yourself stuck with a world-class lemon, which is also a money pit, and may even need to be junked entirely.  Good maintenance on a grandfather clock is critical to its longer term health, not only for the grandfather clock case, but also for the grandfather clock movement strike and chimes.  Interestingly, one of the biggest problems plaguing the used auto market, which is cars which have suffered from flooding or water damage, can very much apply to a grandfather clock, including its case and mechanical movement, as well.

When one buys a new clock from an Authorized Dealer, such as a Howard Miller Grandfather Clock, it will come with a Manufacturer’s warranty on parts and workmanship of 2 years.  We at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com will frequently add a 3rd year of coverage for minimal and sometimes no additional costs.  Hermle Grandfather Clocks, when sold from an Authorized Dealer like us, come standard with a 3 Year Warranty.  And Americana Grandfather Clocks, which are also of the highest quality, and for whom we are also an Authorized Dealer, come with a 4 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty.  Always check out our Kieninger Clocks, including Kieninger Grandfather Clocks,  warranties and sale.  We are happy to discuss the relevance of this, and to talk with prospective customers about both possibilities and implications for grandfather clock purchases for those grandfather clock shoppers who are always searching the web for grandfather clock discounts, grandfather clock coupons, and the like.

We are always just a phone call away at 1-800-4CLOCKS.

 

Most floor clock shoppers looking for new grandfather clocks do not necessary know that Floor Clocks is essentially synonymous with grandfather clocks, but is also a more recent term for Longcase Clocks and Tall Case clocks, which is how a grandfather clock was referred to pretty much everywhere until the late 1800s.

You may wonder what caused the shift in horology or clock terminology towards the terms grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks.  In 1876, a songwriter by the name of Henry Clay Work wrote a song called My Grandfather’s Clock (also known as the clock Grandfather Clock Song) which became incredibly popular and is probably known by much of the adult Western population even to this day.  The song is told from the grandson’s perspective, and the words will most likely look familiar, especially if there were a soundtrack playing in the background, which would be a nice aesthetic grandfather clock touch, but not one we are able to do at this time.

Here are the words to Henry Clay Work song, which while sweeping the USA in terms of what people called Free Standing weight-driven pendulum clocks in an enclosed case, it did not change the nomenclature in the United Kingdom or Great Britain, where these clocks are still mostly known to this day as longcase clocks and tall case clocks:

“Grandfather’s Clock” (1876)

Words and Music by Henry Clay Work, No. 52

Dedicated to his Sister Lizzie

1.

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, tick, tick, tick),

His life seconds numbering (tick, tick, tick, tick),

It stopped short– never to go again–

When the old man died.

2.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro,

Many hours had he spent while a boy;

And its 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)

3.

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 on its face,

And the hands never hung by its side;

But it stopped short– never to go again–

When the old man died.

4.

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)

Bio of Henry Work Clay – he was born in Middletown, CT, on 1 October 1832 to the parents of Alanson Work and Amelia A. (Forbes) Work.   He married Sarah Parker (b. 15 Oct 1835; d. Jan 1857). She was the fourth child of Daniel and Polly (White) Parker. Henry and Sarah (Parker) Work had four children: Waldo Franklin Work (b. 2 Oct 1857; d. 2 Jul 1871); Willie Lovejoy Work (b. 10 Dec 1861; d. 22 Jul 1862); Ellen (or Nellie) Work (b. 9 Oct 1863; d. 15 Mar 1895); and Clara Etta Work (b. 13 Apr 1868; d. Aug 1868). He had three sisters named Loiusa, Etta and Lizzie. He had at least one brother named Alanson. He apprenticed as a printer in Hartford. He published his first song, We Are Coming, Sister Mary, in 1853. He worked for the periodical Song Messenger of the Northwest (published by Root and Cady). He died, at the age of 51, in Hartford, CT on 8 June 1884. In 1868 he published a book of a serio-comic poem called The Upshot Family.

Among his most popular songs were Brave Boys Are They! (1861), Kingdom Coming! (1862), Grafted into the Army (1862), Little Major (1862), Babylon Is Fallen! (1863), Come Home, Father! (1864), Marching Through Georgia (1865) and we think his most famous, and certainly most relevant, Grandfather’s Clock (1876).

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How does one define the difference between a vintage grandfather clock and an antique grandfather clock?  Many people will refer to clocks that are 20 years old as antiques, and as someone who is considerably older than 20, I find that rather frightening.  Having said that, when it comes to cars, our understanding is that automobiles are legally defined as antiques when they are 30 years or older, and even can then qualify for special license plates which include the antique designation for those autos.  When growing up, the author of this bog post always thought of antiques as being items that are 100 years or older, and that is the definition we use for whether a clock is an antique clock or not.  If the clock, whether it’s a grandfather clock or mantel clock or wall clock, if it is less than 100 years old, but more than say 10-20 years old, we would consider those to be vintage grandfather clocks, vintage wall clocks, or vintage mantle clocks.

Whether a clock is a vintage grandfather clock or an antique grandfather clock is a question we get frequently, especially from people who want to sell their grandfather clocks or grandmother clocks to us.  In general, 1-800-4CLOCKS.com will only consider buying antique clocks, meaning ones 100 years or older, although we frequently buy newer and vintage wristwatches and pocket watches, as well as antique pocket watches, especially watch collections and pocket watch collections, and whether the timepieces are working or not.  In general, unless an older but not antique clock is highly unusual, because of its rarity or the clock’s functionality or special features, we would not be interested in purchasing it.  Some examples of clocks we have purchased which are not antique clocks and fit into this category include Atmos Clock by LeCoultre, and the Dent Inclined Plane Clock, and some mechanical clocks with unusual automata, including congreve clocks, astrolabiums, an orrery or orreries, a tellerium, the occasional astroregulator, and perhaps some unusual Art Deco clocks as well.  We always keep an open mind, so we always encourage people to ask.  Timepieces of many kinds may be of interest.

The worth of a vintage grandfather clock or mantel or wall clock is another area where we get many inquiries daily.  It is not infrequent that someone calls inquiring about whether we have the xyz clock in stock, and when we tell them no, they then offer that they actually own xyz clock and want to know how much it is worth.  We will usually suggest they either look at completed auctions on eBay or at the website AntiqueClocksPriceGuide dot com, which charges a we believe modest and sliding subscription fee, based on the length of time access, for various time intervals.  How much is my Howard Miller grandfather clock or my Ridgeway grandfather clock worth are 2 other of the many frequent questions we get.  Another is do we buy them (no, but we generally would suggest either selling them on eBay or listing them on Craigslist, and in that case also being very careful for your personal safety.  Great pictures and descriptions, as well as having the Buyer be responsible for pick-up and/or shipping, would be smart moves for any seller.  The Howard Miller website has a link which gives the MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) for all of the grandfather clocks they have sold over their history.  One simply has to input the howard miller grandfather clock model number.  Vintage Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks owners are not as fortunate that way, as the records of all of the serail numbers, and even many of the old clock catalogs, have as we understand it been lost in either a flood or fire for records regarding grandfather clocks and mantle clcoks and wall clocks that are over ten years old.  Hermle clocks and Kieninger Clocks, as well as Americana Clocks including grandfather clocks do not historically have any serial numbers.

Wristwatch brands that we are always on the lookout to purchase include but are not limited to Omega, Rolex, Movado, IWC, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Phillippe, Breitling, Audemars, Hamilton, Tiffany, Cartier and many others.  Pocket watches, even including non-working watches and parts and even old tools, include Waltham, Elgin, Hamilton, Cartier, Tiffany, IWC, Vacheron Constantin, Patek and many others, including older European pocket watches whether working or not.

We hope this post helps owners of vintage clocks, including vintage floor clock owners, vintage wall clock or regulator owners or people acting on behalf of owners, or vinatge mantel clocks or table clocks or desk clocks.  Vintage alarm clocks too.

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Grandfather Clock Plans used to be quite popular.  Going back 20 to 40 years, there was a ready supply of available plans which were made available – some the bare-bones grandfather clocks plans where everything was dome from scratch, and others with kits provided with either some of the components, e.g. a grandfather clock movement only, and others which also included wood finished and cut and stained, from not at all, to the assembly-only required types of grandfather clock kits that came with easier grandfather clock plans.

Some of the most well known publishers of grandfather clock plans included Mason and Sullivan, which had both the from scratch plans as well as those that came with movements and grandfather clock case, as well as mantel clock case, and wall clock case parts.  Mason and Sullivan went out of business at least 15-20 years ago, but their plans are still occasionally available for purchase, in places such as eBay.  Empire Clocks, or was it Emperor Clocks, were another big name in grandfather clock plans and grandfather clock kits.  Like Mason and Sullivan, they also made back to basics from scratch grandfather clock plans, as well as offering grandfather clock kits, but from our recollection most all still required some real woodwork and staining.  This was also true for wall clocks and mantle clocks offered with clock plans, e.g. wall clock plans, and mantel clock plans, many of which are also found and sold as vintage items.

One company that took a lot of the work out but added tremendous quality was the Kuempel Chime Clock Company, which sold both individual grandfather clocks made to order, as well as grandfather clock kits that came with grandfather clock plans to put them together.  Based in Minnesota, the Kuempel grandfather clocks, as well as mantel clocks and wall clocks, really raised the bar by providing only the highest end solid wood components or completed cases.   The company was run by a visionary man named John Swon who, among many other areas where he saw wisdom, saw the benefit in hiring workers who were local and were senior citizens.  It was a win-win for everyone, including grandfather clock customers who were the lucky beneficiaries of the clocks and clock kits  made by these craftsmen and workers already skilled or who were trained and became skilled in woodworking.

Kuempel also sold very popular grandfather clock kits with German Grandfather Clocks that had Kieninger grandfather clock movements. In addition, they had kits and plans for mantel clocks and wall clocks too, again of German origin. Unfortunately, this great company we believe went out of business shortly after its visionary owner passed away all too suddenly and unexpectedly.

In more general terms, the grandfather clock market seems to have “spoken out” in favor of the economics of buying pre-made high quality grandfather clocks rather than spending the incredible time and effort necessary into doing it the most old-fashioned way.  When one looks at the selections of grandfather clocks offered by Howard Miller Clocks, as well as Hermle Grandfather Clocks, the Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks selection,, the Americana Grandfather Clocks Collection, and Kieninger Grandfather Clocks, and the prices and quality offered with many styles of traditional and contemporary grandfather clocks, it is easy to see that buying one of these incredibly made grandfather clocks, instead of using a grandfather clock plan, may be the easiest decision of all.  Always evaluate the grandfather clocks brands and makers and differences within and between the high-end heirloom quality clocks that will one day be an antique grandfather clock and an antique family heirloom to be  treasured by generation after generation.

 

 

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