There are many products by which we are able to pay our own homage to the passing of the years; ways in which we honor different generations by collecting particular touchstones to the past. We may use the china that was once used by our grandmother or we may purchase pieces of furniture that were popular during the year that our parents were married. By looking at pieces in this way we are not just putting merchandise in our home that is great looking and fits with our style; we are filling our home with a timeline of sorts; conversation pieces that we can use to tell stories of the past.

Clocks are a perfect example of pieces that have been used in homes throughout the generations; their function was always the same but the style in which they were created differs year to year. By collecting clocks from different years and putting them in our home we are able to honor the different styles that have been popular throughout the generations.

This is not to say that we should ignore the modern clock styles of today. In fact, it is easier than ever – with the help of the Internet – to find modern clocks in a variety of styles. Everything from mantel clocks and wall clocks to atomic clocks and grandfather clocks are available online through suppliers that provide offerings from high end manufacturers such as Howard Miller, Kieninger, and Ridgeway clocks. So whether their style is traditional or contemporary, consumers are able to find the clock for them; the clock that will tell the story of this particular time in history.

There are a great many products on the market today that do a good job combining form and function – although for many people form wins out any day. This preference of form over function stems from a society that is focused almost exclusively on looks. But there are those rare items that can offer both – a beautiful product that is also effective. Clocks are very often these types of products, as they both perform a function – the accurate telling of time, and can also foster a design theme within a home.

Clocks – such as those found through 1-800-4CLOCKS – can do more than provide an accurate way to tell time within a home; modern clocks are made in a variety of styles and with a variety of materials – all of which converge to create a clock that will hold up well in a contemporary designed home, add inspiration to a French country home, or look at home among a roomful of antiques.

The important thing to remember for clock consumers today is that there is something for everyone in today’s marketplace. Some of the top manufacturers – such as Howard Miller clocks, Kieninger clocks, and Ridgeway clocks are all committed to providing consumers with modern variations on a classic theme.

Visitors to 1-800-4CLOCKS will find any type of clock they desire – mantel clocks, wall clocks, even grandfather and grandmother clocks – that can add depth of design to any room and help pull a home together into a cohesive style. While it’s true that clocks have a function, this does not in any way mean that consumers must sacrifice style.

Our society has become somewhat dependent on our oversized discount stores – where we are likely to find grocery items and home furnishings just several aisles apart. These are certainly stores that serve an important purpose in terms of convenience and bargain prices, but some things are simply not meant to be purchased from under their umbrella. There are still products that embody traditional craftsmanship; items that are worthy of not only a showcase in a home but a chance to be handed down to the next generation.

Clock making is a long held tradition in this country and the names of particular clock makers are synonymous with quality, artisanship, and staying power. Such names including Howard Miller, Ridgeway clocks, and Kieninger clocks can be found through central suppliers such as 1-800-4CLOCKS; a supplier dedicated to furthering the tradition of quality clocks taking up residence in homes across the country.

Mantel clocks, wall clocks, grandfather clocks, atomic clocks, and all other manner of clocks – varying in design and material – can complement a home of any style. But they are worth more than a five minute stop in a discount retailer. To truly find a clock of quality and substance that will stand the test of time in more ways than one, it’s best to turn to the reputable suppliers such as 1-800-4CLOCKS.

A person’s home is meant to reflect who they are – their personality and what is important to them in terms of design, color, and style. When you walk into someone’s home you should immediately have a sense of who they are and what they represent. For many homeowners, the use of clocks as part of their décor can really set their home apart in terms of style and express the qualities that are important to them. Clocks – unlike larger pieces of furniture – are interchangeable throughout the home and liven up any room in which they sit. The different clocks that can accessorize a home include:

Mantel Clocks – Mantel clocks are defined by their size and portability. Owners can move mantel clocks from one room to another – or keep several in various areas of the home. A part of European in-home décor since the late 1700s, mantel clocks are enormously popular throughout the modern world.

Wall Clocks – As their name suggests, wall clocks hang on the wall of a home and can accent any style of furnishing. Some of the famous names in clock making – Howard Miller, Kieninger, and Ridgeway – lend their names to some of the highest quality wall clocks on the market.

Larger Clocks such as Grandfather & Grandmother Clocks – Considered furniture more than accessory pieces, grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks can ultimately define an entire room.

More than just a way to tell time, clocks – when uniquely displayed – are a part of a home’s overall décor. Those searching for a clock, or even several clocks, that will foster a home’s overall personality will surely find something to suit their style at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com.

A question we receive on a somewhat regular basis, especially from the younger generation, is whether watches and clocks risk becoming obsolete as cell phones, iPods, and other handheld devices emerge as omnipresent devices. Our short answer is an emphatic NO. Aside from the obvious decorative aspects of clocks and the personal style and accessory nature of watches, there is still likely to always be the ease of use and speed factor of having a dedicated device, whether it be on your wrist, on your kitchen wall, or on your office desk or kitchen wall. Also, grandfather clocks chiming and striking the hours can be replicated electronically, but the overall experience would never be the same. Wall clocks, mantel clocks, atomic clocks, and especially novelty clocks are likely to be here to stay, we predict for at least the next 50 years!

Disagree? Tell us why, hopefully thoughtfully, here on this clocks blog. Thanks!

Well, Thanksgiving has now come and gone, and the crazy mad rush shopping season has begun.  While most people are thinking about ipods, or plasma or HDTV televison sets, there are many businesses and individuals who are also looking to clocks as anything from corporate business gifts to prized possessions to be given as presents for weddings, anniversaries, important birthdays, from children to parents, and from parents to children, as cherished timeless keepsakes to be handed from generation to generation.  And of course, there are some who find a grandfather clock as the elusive perfect personal present for Christmas or Holiday gift giving for their spouse, for themselves, or other close relatives.

Not only grandfather clocks are becoming more common as heirloom gifts, but 1-800-4CLOCKS is also seeing an increase of gift giving by individuals and corporations with wall clocks, mantel clocks, novelty clocks, atomic clocks, and of course the gift for good corporate citizens and corporate customers or for corporate promotions of the marketing variety.

More choices and styles are also making doing your homework that much more important.  Clocks now feature more chimes than ever - you can hear the Westminster, Whittington, St Michaels, Schubert’s Ave Maria and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy Ode on the 1-800-4CLOCKS website for clocks that feature these chimes.  Other features such as volume control, lit cabinets, automatic night time chime shut-off option, and many more physical styles, including contemporary. modern, and old style, make clock shopping both more fun and more challenging than ever.  Also, without naming names, it is amazing the number of customers who come to 1-800-4CLOCKS after looking at clocks at many of the largest Retailers around the country, and can see the difference between a cheaply made clock, which 1-800-4CLOCKS attempts to carry none of, and one which is well-made.  The hallmark brands such as Howard Miller, Seth Thomas, Ridgeway Clocks, Hermle, Bulova, and Movado help ensure years of lasting quality and fine craftsmanship and materials.

As many of the higher-end clocks are increasingly being looked to as heirloom gifts, consumers and businesses are fortunate to have more GOOD choices than ever before.  Just be sure to look carefully before you leap.

An unfortunate group which is a very small percent of clocks shoppers, but probably have 90% of any “bad” experiences that are out there are customers whom really have not given any thought to what they have ordered or why they are ordering it.  ALSO, many clock shoppers tell us they were first lured by cheap clocks, e.g. grandfather clocks, they in some major mass market retailers, only later to realize the cases were made of plastic and the mechanisms were anything but special.

What this means is that there is a small but unfortunate group of buyers out there who in effect impulse buy, only to realize later that what they purchased is not what they want.

Among the key steps we recommend are looking at the overall brand image, quality, and reliability.  Then look at the case and make sure that is what you want.  Then there is a decision about whether to have a mechanical movement or a quartz movement, each with varying pros and cons (more on this in a future post).  A Home Decor or Office Decor fit is a must.  And the chiming sound should be welcome in the place where the clock finds its new home.

Finally, looking carefully at the warranty offered by the Manufacturer, and making sure that the Manufacturer is “real” and will stand behind their product, can make all the difference in the world!

Howard Miller Reading Time Table Clock    Model 645-421

Timing intervals for both oiling and cleaning of mechanical clocks is a question 1-800-4CLOCKS is faced with throughout our history. Each time the same information is given, whether the mechanical keywound clock is a grandfather clock, wall clock, or mantle clock. Chiming clocks, which are for more than just telling time, do require more attention than time only mechanical mechanisms. This is as true for new clocks as it is for antique clocks.

The oil present in the mechanical clock breaks down over time, and eventually the metal on metal movement will slow down or operate irregularly.  Between that and the chances that some dust or dirt have also entered the clocks mechanism, effective clocks maintenance becomes critical.  Oiling and cleaning at defined intervals will absolutely increase the longevity of your clock, and perhaps prevent the need for major repairs to be done along the way.

Whether one is talking about a Bulova Grandfather Clock, a Howard Miller Grandfather Clock, a Ridgeway Grandfather Clock, or a Kieninger Grandfather Clock, all such clocks with high-end mechanical movements need attention throughout time. The 1-800-4CLOCKS.com recommendation — and other clocks professionals may-will have differing opinions — is for a complete cleaning every 5-8 years, and an oiling every 2-4 years. Any signs of problems should obviously lead the owner of the timepiece to advance this schedule.  In general, our approach and philosophy is more of a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality.

Oiling should only be done by a professional, or a capable horological hobbyist.  It is easy to damage the clock or create the need for more expensive repairs if clock oil is not applied correctly.  This almost goes without saying for the cleaning of a chiming mechanical grandfather clock, wall clock, or mantel clock.

With the appropriate care and feeding of your mechanical clock, not only will it keep better time, not only will it keep the total cost of ownership lower than it would be otherwise, but it will also make that much easier to have a working piece of horological history throughout time that can be passed and cared for from generation to generations.

If you have not been to the 1-800-4CLOCKS website lately to look at a chiming grandfather clock, wall clocks, or mantel clocks, it is worth a trip! When trying to decide which clock to buy and with what clock chime or chimes, now you can actually listen to the chimes on the 1-800-4CLOCKS.com website, and hear the Westminster Chimes, St Michaels and Whittington Chimes for yourself, before you buy.

The three above-mentioned chimes, which are shown and playable with each clock style that plays them, offer incredible sound quality that was recorded by a Recording Music Professional using clocks at our Store in Grand Central Station. The chimes can be listened to as many times as you like. The goal is to create as much of an in-person shopping feeling as humanly possible with current technology.

Clocks that play either the Westminster, St Michaels or Whittington Chimes should have the chimes below available for listening below each clock, available in flashplayer file format with which most every web user has had experience. It is important to reach each product’s description to be positive that the chimes shown match the chimes described in the description of the clock.

All of the chimes can of course be heard in person at our New York City Grand Central Station Store.

The Ode to Joy and Ave Maria Chimes are expected to be added to the 1-800-4CLOCKS.com website within the next 1-2 months, for clocks that offer those musical chimes.

All input from clock, horology, and timepiece or music enthusiasts is encouraged and welcomed any time.

Howard Miller Westminster Chimes New Haven Wall Clock Model 620-196

In the world of clocks and watches and pocket watches, there is a very natural and historical time divide in the standardization and resulting ease of obtaining clock and watch and pocket watch parts to repair clocks or watches. This is true not only based on the age of the timepiece, but also for repairs for clocks and watches originally made within and between both Continents and individual countries.

The two most important contributors to this dichotomy are 1. that European clocks and pocket watches have a much longer history of being produced, with much diversity both within and between countries of origin, and 2. USA Pocket Watch and early Clockmakers — e.g. Seth Thomas Clocks, Ridgeway Clocks, Howard Miller Clocks — starting production at least a century later in time, and most went to great lengths to standardize aspects of both early clocks components and parts for pocket watches (with companies such as the Waltham Watch Co., Elgin Watches, and the Hamilton Watch Company). With the documentation and standardization of parts and component sizes and diagrams, making repairs became immensely easier and even possible.

European pocket watches and clocks, have had home grown, and in many cases family owned clockmaking and watchmaking businesses, and had enormous variations in parts, including component sizes and design, both within and between countries, over time, and even in the same countries in the same generations (e.g. Swiss pocket watches being made by hundreds or thousands of different families and individuals, say during the 1800s). This is as true for England as it was for France and Germany during this earlier era of horological history.

The positive side of this is that there is much more diversity and uniquity in Antique Clocks and Antique Pocket Watches (giving rise to pocket watch and later watch brands as well known and respected as Patek Philippe, Omega, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron and Constantin, A. Lange & Sohne, Jaeger, Le Coultre, Zenith, Breitling, Movado and of course Rolex Watches) from Western Europe. The very real negative side of this is that if a part is missing or broken from a pre-1900 era pocket watch or clock, finding a replacement part can be, based on experience, 100 times harder to make happen. Frequently parts have to be hand-made in this instances, and with a dwindling population, across the world, of watchsmiths and clocksmiths who are capable of doing so. European timepieces are another world for collectors, and a diverse one at that. But the world of European Clocks and European Pocket Watches is well worth getting to know. There is a LOT to learn in this fascinating world!

circa 1890 Winterhalder Hoffmeir 9 Gong Musical Bracket Clock … from still early stages of more standardized clockmaking and watchmaking