The history of grandfather clocks brands is an ever changing one.  Going back to the 1700s and 1800s is Western Europe, parts of Eastern Europe, and the New World, the makers of clocks were extremely decentralized.  This was true for pocket watches as well.  So much so that when signing a grandfather clock or a pocket watch, or a wall clock or mantel clock for that matter, the maker, when they signed their work, put their name, and then their town location.  That tells you a lot right their about how locally focused individual clocks markers were, even though the works if select makers were prized the world over.

In the late 1800s, clock makers started to be centralized, and built manufacturing facilities capable of producing high quality clocks in much larger quantities.  Many of the major makers of their day went out of business, or were later brought back to life because of the value of their name, for different reasons.  Clock makers that fall into this category include Junghans, Gustav Becker, Winterhalder and Hoffmeir, E.J. Dent, New Haven Clock Company, Ansonia Clocks, E Howard Clocks, and the list goes on and on.

Today, when focusing on grandfather clocks specifically, and keeping in mind that we are looking at only what we consider to be the high-end makers and those who make clocks in any quantities, there are relatively few players on the higher-end.  Howard Miller grandfather clocks continue to dominate the high-end market.  Hermle grandfather clocks, which have been around for well over a hundred years, is another leading high end maker of floor clocks, a term used synonymously for grandfather clocks.  Ridgeway grandfather clocks, which have also been making grandfather clocks for over 100 years, is another great brand.  It is worth noting that Ridgeway Clocks was purchased by Howard Miller Clocks about 8 years ago, and while Ridgeway grandfather clocks still bear their brand name with pride, they are in reality not only a division of Howard Miller Clocks, but also essentially identical to Howard Miller grandfather clocks with comparable movements and features, and are effectively other models built by the same company, using the same German made movements, with the cases made in the same locations.

All the major high-end clockmakers currently use German made movements, and are frequently thought of as German grandfather clocks, even when the makers are American companies.  Kieninger grandfather clcoks can be considered German through and through.  Yet it is worth noting that Kieninger Clocks was purchased by Howard Miller Clocks about 7 or 8 years ago.  Howard Miller Clocks and Ridgeway clocks that have mechanical movements inside have those that are made by Kieninger.  Bulova Clocks took over the Sligh grandfather clocks brand designs several years ago.  Bulova clocks uses German Hermle made movements in its grandfather clocks.

There are other companies worthy of note whose brands we do not currently carry, but are of high quality, including Hentschel Clocks and Comiti of London.

Stay tuned for further grandfather clocks brand developments over time.

We have of course heard of many people talk of and ask for Floor Clocks and Grandfather Clocks, but we are noticing a new trend with individuals using the term Grandfather Floor Clocks.  Have you heard that term before?  Perhaps it has appeared in some advertising or Home Improvement or architectural digest or house beautiful or home and garden type of publication or media of late.

Grandfather clocks are by definition floor clocks, or free standing clocks with that familiar rectangular shape with the mechanical kind housing a pendulum and being weight-driven by 1-3 weights, depending upon whether it is time only, time and strike, or time and strike and chiming.  Most of us know this very general definition of grandfather clocks or floor clocks.

Howard Miller Clocks in particular have popularized the term Floor Clocks.   Hermle Clocks too with their grandfather clocks frequently being referred to as Floor Clocks.  It kind of reminds us of radio controlled clocks being used interchangeably with atomic clocks by many manufacturers.  But we have yet to hear of an atomic radio controlled clock, or radio-controlled atomic clocks for that matter.

It seems the terms have simply blended together — floor clocks and grandfather clocks being referred to as grandfather floor clocks.  Not exactly a parallel with mantel clocks and mantle clocks, nor with grandfather clocks and tallcase clocks and longcase clocks, but nonetheless interesting horological linguistic distinction brought about by differences and changes in time and within and between cultures.

Anyone out there heard of a Grandmother Floor Clock?  We expect we will be asked about one some time very soon.

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.

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.

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!

Dent and Company is perhaps best known for designing the Tower Clock in England’s Houses of Parliament, that has become known over the years as Big Ben (which is actually the name of the Bell in the Clock Tower).

Dent also made bracket clocks and wall clocks, though we see very few of them for sale.  Antique Grandfather Clocks by Dent also no doubt exist, though we believe they are quite rare as we can’t remember the last time we saw an original of  Dent Grandfather Clocks.

Pocket Watches by Dent are of extraordinarily high quality and were made in some large numbers.  The Dent family spanned several generations in clocks and pocket watch making.

The history of Dent & Co. spans three centuries of precision watch and clock making in Great Britain. Established in 1814 by (the very first) Edward J. Dent, the company embraced the Victorian fervor for technological innovation and created precision chronometers to navigate the Royal Navy and guide some of the most intrepid explorers on their voyages. The British Empire was in full expansion and its maritime tradition had produced some remarkable technological breakthroughs from the late 18th century; John Harrison’s triumphant mechanical solution in 1764 to locate a ship’s position at sea won the coveted Board of Longitudes prize money and further consolidated Britain as the horological force in the world.  Propelling the impetus of Britain’s primacy, Dent proved a key player in Victorian horological history manufacturing the Standard Clock at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich which was to keep “Greenwich Mean Time”  the time to which all others in the Empire were referred, (better known today as G.M.T.) and continued to do so until replaced by an electronic clock in 1946.  Dent also made probably the most famous clock in the world – the Great Clock for the Houses of Parliament, familiarly known as Big Ben.

A Chronology of Dent Family Business Premises – all locations are in London, England

1826   E.J.Dent, 43 King Street, Long Acre

1830   Arnold & Dent, 84 Strand

1840   Edward J. Dent, 82 Strand

1843   Edward J. Dent, 82 Strand & 33 Cockspur Street

1847   Edward J. Dent, 82 Strand & 33 Cockspur Street & 34 Royal Exchange

1851   Edward J. Dent, 61 Strand & 33 Cockspur Street & 34 Royal Exchange

1853  Frederick Dent, 61 Strand & 34 Royal Exchange

1853   Richard Edward Dent, 33 Cockspur Street

1856   Frederick Dent, 61 Strand, 34 & 35 Royal Exchange

1857   M. F. Dent, 33 Cockspur Street

1861   Dent & Co, 61 Strand, 34 & 35 Royal Exchange

1861   M. F. Dent, 33 & 34 Cockspur Street

1864   E. Dent & Co, 61 Strand, 34 & 35 Royal Exchange

1886   E. Dent & Co, 61 Strand, & 4 Royal Exchange

1897  E. Dent & Co Ltd, 61 Strand, & 4 Royal Exchange

1904   M. F. Dent, 34 Cockspur Street

1920   E.  Dent & Co Ltd (consolidation M. F. Dent), 61 Strand, 4 Royal Exchange & 34 Cockspur Street

1921   E. Dent & Co Ltd, 61 Strand, 4 Royal Exchange & 28 Cockspur Street

1936   E. Dent & Co Ltd, 41 Pall Mall & 4 Royal Exchange

1941 – 1977   E. Dent & Co Ltd, 41 Pall Mall

Dent & Co. also acquired a range of titles and appointments. They include:

Makers to and holders of Royal Warrants from Her Majesty Queen Victoria and H.R.H. Albert, Prince of Wales, His Majesty King Edward VI, His Majesty King George V,  Her Majesty Queen Mary, His Majesty Tsar Alexander III, His Majesty Tsar Nicolas II Emperors of Russia and His Majesty Emperor Mejii of Japan.  Makers to the Courts and Governments of France, Austria, Italy, Russia, Germany, Spain, the United States, Japan and no doubt many others.

Grandfather Clocks and Grandmother Clocks — do you carry both?  What is the difference?  Why in your clocks store do you list some grandfather clocks as both a grandfather clock and a grandmother clock?  Can a big long wall clock be considered a grandmother clock, or does it need to be freestanding?  The above are questions we get every day and there is a lot of confusion about the similarities and differences between grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks.

Adding to the confusion, our experience is that if you have ten grandfather clocks  experts in a room to clarify the distinctions defining a grandfather clocks and a grandmother clock, you may get 15-20 different opinions.  There is absolutely no universal agreement on a definition of what defines a grandmother clock vs. a grandfather clock.  Nevertheless, we will share here our perspective on the differences between the two kinds of these floor clocks.

First, grandmother clocks and grandfather clocks are both Floor Clocks.  They must be freestanding, and while they may be adjacent to a wall, or even anchored to a wall for protection against tipping over (a critical baby-proofing and “young-kind proofing” necessity in our view), they stand up on their own base, which is the bottom of the clock.

The height of the floor clock is by far the single most distinguishing and defining characteristic and criterion for whether any clock is a grandmother clock or a grandfather clock.  We use a height of 80 inches (sometimes up to 82 inches depending upon the style of the floor clock) as the very rough guideline and dividing line below which a clock may be called a grandmother clock.

Floor clocks that in our view are “short enough” to be considered or classified as grandmother clocks are still included on our own website with the descriptive term grandfather clock.  While we recognize this confuses some or our grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks shopping customers, and we get calls about it from time to time from people who are confused, we do not want to make the presentation of clocks more confusing by listing the same EXACT clock as BOTH a grandmother clock and a grandfather clock.

Howard Miller Clocks offers the biggest selection of grandfather clocks that quality for both of these clocks categories.  We offer great discounts on these clocks, as we do for all the high-end discount grandmother clocks and grandfather clocks on sale.

We hope this adds value and to the knowledge base of discount grandfather clocks and those looking for grandmother clocks on sale, and deciding between the two types of floor clocks.

Tis the Season for many joyous occasions, including discounts on grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks and much more.  While plasma and high definition televisions may be high on the list of many people, as well as the latest iMacs, iPods, iPhones, we know that clocks, especially grandfather clocks, show up on peoples radar screens much of the time.

We are asked many times if we have coupons or coupon codes available for checkout from our 1-800-4CLOCKS.com website.  The short answer is that is not something we usually do.  The reason being that we strive to ALWAYS offer the lowest available price and to be one step ahead of our competition as much as reasonably possible.  We do not believe in grandfather clock discounts that “expire tonight at midnight” or other phony sales gimmicks.  We encourage any clocks customer who is at all unsure about the pros and cons of certain clocks, or has any questions, to call us at 1-800-4CLOCKS, and we always strive to share as much detail about our clocks offerings as we can, all the time.

So when Black Friday comes, while it will be as good as any other day shopping for grandfather clocks or mantle clocks or wall clocks, you might want to spend your time looking for the discount lures that are put out there by so many major retailers.  Come visit us or call us, and maybe you will be surprised, or maybe not.

We don’t believe in artificially raising prices, only so we can lower them the next day and offer steeper percent discounts.  1-800-4CLOCKS prides itself on being very approachable, and we are delighted to talk through the pros and cons of, say, cable driven grandfather clocks vs. chain driven grandfather clocks.  Quartz grandfather clocks too.  Even tubular chime grandfather clocks and what they have to offer. We are happy to discuss the different makers, including Howard Miller, Hermle, Ridgeway, Bulova, Kieninger and so many more.  We will even search for a particular clock, whether an antique grandfather clocks or an old bracket clock with nested bells.

We aim to be your one stop shop for all clock needs, both personal and professional.  Increasingly, corporate customers, governments, and other organizations including libraries and hospitals, and coming to us for special order clocks that can be customized to meet their promotional or environmental and decor needs.

We would like to do the same for you, in 2009 and for many years to come.

GrandfatherClocks for Sale? We are all used to seeing For Sale signs for just about everything, including Grandfather Clocks.  But how one presents the item for sale, whether it is a house, an apartment for sale, an automobile, or one of any of a number of homer decor or interior decoration items, how it is presented is critical.

Does seeing GrandfatherClocks for Sale make you focus more on the selling proposition than seeing Grandfather Clocks for Sale? It may sound like a silly wordsmith distinction, but timepiece companies as well as almost all corporations selling to consumers and businesses spend a lot of time and money getting the words just right, whether they are selling on line in in bricks and mortar stores or even catalogs.

How about GrandfatherClock for sale vs. Grandfather Clock for Sale.

What about GrandmotherClocks for Sale in place of Grandmother Clocks for Sale.

Or what about FloorClocks for Sale instead of Floor Clocks for Sale.

Or what about HallClocks in place of Hall Clocks.

I myself have always had trouble distinguishing between tallcase clocks and tall case clocks, as well as longcase clocks and long case clocks – but that is based more on a cultural divide between British and American linguistics.

On these seemingly nonsensical distinctions, cottage industries are built on finding the best terminology that can in fact make a big difference in investment decisions and advertising.  If this all seems a bit nonsensical to you, it does as well to us. But believe it or not, we need to factor stuff like this into our advertising and public relations strategy time and time again.