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.

Howard Miller Mantle Clocks and Wall Clocks LIMITED WARRANTY

NOTE THAT 1-800-4CLOCKS ENSURES THAT ALL HOWARD MILLER CLOCKS PURCHASED FROM  US HAVE A WARRANTY OF 2 YEARS.  THIS APPLIES FOR CLOCKS for which even Howard Miller only offers a 1 Year Warranty.  1-800-4CLOCKS extends it for an additional year in those cases (applies mostly to quartz or battery operated Wall Clocks or Mantle Clocks).

This product has been manufactured using only the very finest of materials and has been thoroughly tested prior to leaving our manufacturing facility.

Howard Miller warrants to the original consumer/purchaser or recipient that this product will be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one year from date of purchase.

Howard Miller’s obligation under this warranty shall be limited to repairing the product with new or renewed components or, at its option, replacing it with a new or renewed product. This warranty does not include damage to product or components resulting from abuse, accident, alteration, climatic/environmental conditions, damage beyond normal use, freight damage, mishandling, misuse, or unauthorized repair.

HOWARD MILLER DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF BREACH OF THIS WARRANTY OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY. IMPLIED WARRANTIES ON THIS PRODUCT SHALL BE IN EFFECT ONLY FOR THE DURATION OF THE EXPRESS WARRANTY SET FORTH ABOVE AND THEREAFTER, THERE SHALL BE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, (INCLUDING MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE), ON THIS PRODUCT.

Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages or the limitation on how long an implied warranty lasts so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

4

HAMMER

ARM

CHIME

COIL

or

ROD

MOON DIAL

CLICK

SPRING

FIGURE 12

FIGURE 11

5

SERVICE INFORMATION

Before pursuing service, ensure that all instructions provided with your Howard Miller clock have been carefully followed. These instructions will provide detailed information to answer most questions. Contact the Howard Miller web site ( www.howardmiller.com ) for a list of frequently asked questions that may conveniently resolve your problem or answer your question. Most problems can be quickly resolved without returning the clock for service. Before calling, please have these instructions and the following information available:

Model Number: ________________ Serial Number: _________________ Date of

Purchase: ________________ Where Purchased: _________________ The model and serial number can be found on the Product Information Label (see General Information). (A copy of the original bill of sale or proof of purchase or receipt date.) Brief Description of Problem:

____________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________

PROCEDURES TO OBTAIN REPAIR SERVICE

. In the unlikely event that your clock appears to be malfunctioning or require repair, IN NORTH AMERICA please call one of our Repair Technicians at (616) 772-7277 (extension #386). OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA please call your distributor or agent.

. Have a copy of the original bill of sale or other proof of purchase or receipt date available.

. Have the Howard Miller model number and serial number and a complete description of the problem available.

. Return Authorization is required for all returns to Howard Miller. If you have been given authorization to return the clock to Howard Miller, you will be given a Return Authorization number (RGA#). Returns without prior authorization may be subject to additional charges and delays.

If a return is necessary, please package clock in the ORIGINAL packaging.

Failure to properly pack the clock may cause damage that is not covered under warranty. You should obtain insurance for the return shipment. If ORIGINAL packaging is not available, you may find it convenient to take the clock to a professional packaging and shipping company (consumer expense). Otherwise, please follow the instructions below.

1. Package the clock into a stiff corrugated carton. This carton needs to be larger than the clock and should have at least 4″ (inches) of space between the clock and each carton wall, to allow for adequate cushion material.

2. Position the clock into the carton.

. Wrap the item in a plastic bag.

Damaged Glass Note: Remove all broken glass before packing the clock for return.

Failure to do so may further damage the clock and would not be covered under warranty.

. Cover the bottom 4″ (inches) of the carton with cushioning material.

Cushioning material may

include foamed peanuts, tightly packed newspaper or other similar material.

. Place the clock in the center of the carton on top of the cushioning material.

. Enclose the following inside the carton with the clock: the reason for returning the product, the RGA#, and a copy of the original bill of sale or proof of purchase.

. Fill the remaining space around the clock, and use enough additional cushioning material so that the clock cannot move or shift in transit.

3. Seal the carton securely with packaging tape. DO NOT use masking or tape intended for gift wrapping.

4. Clearly mark the outside of the carton with the complete Howard Miller Company “ship to”

address. Include your complete address. Please include the Return Authorization number (RGA#), above your name, on the address label.

5. Damage caused by poor packaging or freight handling is not covered under warranty.

NON-WARRANTY REPAIR SERVICE

Charges will result for repair services if a bill of sale or other proof of purchase date is not provided, if instructions were not followed, if the clock is beyond the Limited Warranty period or is otherwise outside the scope of the Limited Warranty.

MINOR ADJUSTMENTS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY Repair service and/or parts to correct the following minor adjustments are at the consumer’s

expense:

1. “Set-Up”. Set-Up instructions have been provided with your Howard Miller product.

2. Mechanical Movement Oiling and Cleaning. The movement in your clock is a mechanical mechanism and, therefore, requires periodic oiling and cleaning depending on climatic and environmental conditions. Under normal conditions a movement requires oiling with high quality clock oil approximately every two years from the date of purchase. Please contact a qualified clock repair person or authorized Howard Miller Service Center for this service.

3. Replacement of Suspension Spring. Please return broken suspension spring to Howard Miller for proper identification. Replacement suspension springs are available from Howard Miller.

4. Pendulum, Timing, and Chime/Strike Hammer Adjustments. Instructions for these adjustments have been provided in this publication.

FREIGHT DAMAGE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY It is the responsibility of the consignee to claim any freight loss or damage directly with the carrier. If the carton indicates signs of “visible damage”, instruct the driver to note the damage on the freight bill. If the carton contains “concealed damage”, notify the carrier and request in writing within 14 days of product receipt a carrier inspection and damage report.

Failure to notify the carrier within 14 days of product receipt may waive your rights to a damage claim.

NOT 100% crystal clear?  Having a wall clock or mantel clock  problem?  please feel free to call us at any time at 1-800-4CLOCKS (1-800-425-6257).  We’ll be here and aim to help!

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.

We are always seeking feedback from our customers on how we can improve the grandfather clocks and other clocks we offer, as well as input on adding new ones.

We had ventured into the Pet Clocks™ niche, which we are still pursuing, albeit with fewer resources than we had originally planned.  We read today about a prototype in the works for a 100% solar-powered plane that could fly non-stop (except for maintenance) day and night with no other power source.  Quite exciting.  It will have the wingspan of a commercial jet and yet otherwise look a lot like a helicopter without the rotary blades atop.  If this can be done, surely we can make or find some solar clocks that are better than the ones we, at least, have seen on the market to date.  We want to be more green too!

What about a clock that could talk to you in your own voice, or that of a loved one (or hated or feared one), as your way of waking up in the morning.  Or one with a customized chime?  Would you be willing to pay a lot more for a super-high-quality sound you might want to showcase in your own home?

One area we definitely will be beefing up in the near term is for clocks for the visually impaired or those with hearing problems.  We will likely be adding phones as well, as well of course and very large numeral clocks, in the near future.  One manufacturer promised us their clocks could “wake the dead”.  We can guarantee you that we will be making no such claims.  Yet the range of offerings, from alarm clocks which shake the bed to one which also has a line go on and off and on and off, will be quite impressive.  With the phones, we will likely be offering services or features which are somewhat similar to the First Alert (I’ve fallen and I can’t get up) system which has been on the market for many years.

Stay tuned for some exciting additions.

AND please do let us know WHAT YOU WANT.  We know grandfather clocks are the greatest.  we just want to make sure we meet as many of our customer needs as reasonably possible.

Colibri, the Owner of Seth Thomas Clocks, makers of wall clocks, mantel clocks, atomic clocks and more, was forced into Receivership last month, and sadly, apparently 250 emplyees were told on that same day that they had no jobs.  Another retail victim of the recession.

The Company re-opened very briefly, with a skeleton staff to ship out orders, but closed again before they finished processing even the orders they acknowledged.  The future of the company and the Seth Thomas brand is currently uncertain.

Seth Thomas Clocks is America’s oldest clock manufacturer, and has been known especially for their now antique grandfather clocks, as well as weight driven wall clocks, Sonora Bell Chime Clocks, and literally hundreds of other models of mantel clocks and wall clocks.  Seth Thomas Tower Clocks and Seth Thomas Street Clocks of the antique variety are also well known, and can be compared to the quality of E Howard Tower Clocks and Street Clocks, though were produced in much greater numbers, giving time to the public. Their grandfather clock collection, specifically the antiques, are highly collectible and prized.

The Company, in our opinion, has had a rocky history, with various owners over the years, including General Instruments.

Most recently, Seth Thomas stopped offering ANY mechanical clocks of any kind, which was a great surprise to us as that was clearly what the Company was known for historically.

A wall clock in one’s office is, studies have shown, looked at an average of 30-50 times a day.  A watch on one’s wrist, also known as a wristwatch, probably looked at a similar number of times.  A clock on one’s computer is certainly noticed, but at least current adult creatures of habit still look at it with less frequency than dedicated clocks or watches.  And as for looking at the clock on your iPod, fuhgeddaboudit.  iPod users, while we have yet to see a definitive study, tend to look at the clocks on their devices with much less frequency than those who own and wear watches.  But on the bright side, who would buy an iPod for the clock feature anyway?

As mobile computing and virtual realities becomes more pervasive, the future of timekeeping, and the devices used by individuals, will no doubt shift to some important degree.

Having said that, grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantel clocks and the like are frequently as much about home decor, office decor, and interior decorating as anything else, so we don’t anticipate major marketplace changes from that vantage point.

Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Clock Collection, Hermle Floor Clocks, Seth Thomas Clocks, and Bulova watches to grandfather clocks are likely to be brands that are here for the long haul.

We expect their popularity will continue unabated both among collectors and interior designers.  And we see this for both clocks and watches of all types, with some exciting innovations no doubt playing a role as we move forward in time.

Happy New Year to all.

Do you spell tabletop clocks as Mantle Clocks or Mantel Clocks?  An interesting language dynamic which affects how people buy and sell clocks has to do with this often seen simple variation on the spelling of either mantel clocks or mantle clocks.  Both are correct.  Major clock manufacturers use both spelling all the time.  A simple search of the 2 terms on Google (now is the time to make a guess as to which is more popular) shows – we just looked – about 194,000 search results for mantel clocks and 199,000 for the mantle clocks spelling. We view that as a strikingly similar number for the spelling variation.

Our general understanding, without having performed a scientific analysis, is that mantel clocks is generally the American spelling, and that mantle clocks is generally the British spelling.  Take geographic considerations into account, and the first is more popular in all of North America and the latter more popular in all of Europe.

Less of a variation than grandfather clocks vs. tall case clocks and long case clocks, but nonetheless a very interesting one.  If one looks at the manufacturers of new clocks, not surprisingly, Howard Miller Clocks, based in the USA, tends to use the mantel clocks spelling, while Hermle Clocks, based in Germany, tends to use the mantle clocks spelling.

Also, antique clocks, most of which were made in Europe, if one looks at the history of clocks, will frequently be seen with the Mantle Clocks spelling.

Personally, we like Bracket Clocks, and are pleased that there appears to be only way to spell wall clocks.

It almost appears as though many marketers of clocks waited until after this past Christmas season to introduce and attempt to flood the American marketplace with cheaply made clocks products at much lower price points.  This is a trend we have noticed, and seems now to be accelerating and becoming as prevalent for grandfather clocks as it has been for wall clocks and mantel clocks.

Whether shopping for a grandfather clock or a mantle clock timepiece, it is more important then ever to understand what exactly one is thinking about buying.  Special attention should be given when tucked away in the language describing a clock it says something like some assembly required.  Without naming names, we have started to see more and more of the larger Dealers peddling clocks as though they are comparable to ones made by such known makers as Howard Miller Clocks or Hermle Clocks, when they in fact may be cheap imitations, sometimes even using the same model names to sell entirely different clocks.

We have heard from customers who are confused by what they are seeing in the marketplace, and think one Company’s product was actually made by another leading and well known Company.

We welcome input from clock shoppers and the relevant experiences they may be having.

In the meantime, while caveat emptor should always be on the minds of any shopper, buyers of timepieces should carefully look at their options, and ask the hard questions to make certain they are comfortable with what they are buying all of the time.

There is probably no single day of the year when clocks – whether grandfather clocks or wall clocks or mantel clocks – get more views than on New Years Eve.  The same holds true for wristwatches and other timepieces, whether tuning in on television to celebrate in cities around the country and world, or celebrating with immediate family and or a few close friends at home.

This is enough to make 1-800-4CLOCKS still relevant and shows the continued need and desirability, not to mention obsession, with the passing of time, and done so in an elegant way.

Atomic clocks, with their at least theoretical one-billionth of a second accuracy for the most accurate ones, and even computer clocks syncing with Atomic Time can supplant the need to be on the same page by watching television network broadcasts.  But a sense of a global community would still be missing and can be enhanced, at least for many, by joining the world with televised broadcasts of the exploits and celebrations in cities around the world.

Some households and parties will no doubt be celebrating around clocks they have purchased from 1-800-4CLOCKS as 2007 winds down and 2008 is welcomed in. We have seen this trend as it has been volunteered to us by some of our customers.  Whether a grandfather clock or grandmother clock, atomic or wall clock, mantel or anniversary clock, or a Rolex or Casio wristwatch, or a cell phone or iPod’s timekeeper, time will be marked by the device of your choice, whether your own or a communal resource like New York’s Times Square with its remarkable display and countdown to 2008.

Let us know if you and yours have any special stories or celebrations to share about how you rang in 2008, and whether a timepiece played a key, or even dare we say interesting, role.

This blogger has a somewhat unusual way of ringing in the New Year, which usually involves being in a movie theater (watching a movie, in case you are wondering), and not even knowing exactly when the clock is approaching, reaching, or passing midnight.

Please share your stories, and have a great time and happy and healthy year in 2008, however you mark time.

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.