Clocks Blog

Category: Cuckoo Clocks

  • Vintage Clocks

    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.

    All Warranties are null and unless purchased from AUTHORIZED Howard Miller Clocks Dealer

    · © 2013 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • Large Wall Clocks

    A clock shopper’s view of a large wall clock can be anything from what we at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com think of as a Gallery Clock, generally defined as a clock over 15 inches in diameter, and also sometimes referred to as an oversize wall clock. Some customer shopping for a grandfather clock sometimes refer to it as a grandfather wall clock, even though they have very different clock definitions. Whether the customer is actually searching for a grandfather or grandmother clock, or an atomic clock, a cuckoo clock or a regular or oversize large gallery wall clock, we have a great selection and like to think we offer the best combination of savings, selection and customer service.

    We carry only the brands of wall clocks and grandfather clock selection that we consider to be high end and great value for money spent on a clock. Some of our most popular brands for oversize gallery large wall clocks include

    Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Clocks, Infinity Instruments, Hermle Clocks, LaCrosse Technologies Clocks and weather stations, Kieninger Clocks, as well as our soon to be our very own more formally introduced line of GiganticClocks™ with large LED numbers in red, with some models in blue, that are both visible from great distances as well as being clearly visible throughout the night and day, even in a pitch black room. Some of the GiganticClocks™ will also have some variations of the day of week, date, AM and PM indicators, temperature inside and outside, alarms, countdown clocks and even some of the models coming with remote controls. These large wall clocks will change the market, and will be especially valuable for people who either have vision issues, or want to be reminded or have easy reference to the say of week and date and such.

    Right now probably the single most selection of large wall clocks is made by Howard Miller Clocks and can be seen by looking at this link on

    Large Wall Clocks. Ridgeway Clocks has some gallery wall clocks, and Infinity Instruments has some more decorative and traditional wall and atomic or radio-controlled wall clocks. Same with Lacrosse Technologies Clocks, Hermle Clocks, our own Gigantic LED Clocks, and the wonderfully different Rhythm Clocks musical motion and small world clocks, which add a dimension to novelty clocks that has never truly been matched.

    Antique Gallery Clocks and oversize large antique wall clocks are also definitely worth a look. Antique clocks will tend to cost a lot more for the same functionality, but if chosen right, paid a reasonable amount for, and one has an understanding of both the potential pitfalls as well as the relative strengths and weaknesses of new vs antique clocks, they definitely in certain instances can be a viable alternative to new wall clocks. Some of the main factors to consider in purchasing an antique wall clock are authenticity, whether the wall clock movement and case and dial are all original to one another, its timekeeping ability, whether the tick is too loud, if there are antique clock repair and service people nearby, and whether the features meet your needs as is.

    Oversize Gallery Wall Clocks

    Howard Miller Grand Americana wall clock model 620-242

    · © 2013 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • Howard Miller Atomic Clocks

    Clocks Blog is proud to highlight the widely used but not well known term

    clockes, whether we are talking about grandfather clockes and wall clockes and mantel clockes and atomic clockes. Even antique clockes including antique grandfather clockes, antique wall clockes and antique mantel clockes. Talking about the same clocks, but shown with an alternate spelling.

    While we deal in antique clockes of all varieties, including antique grandfather clocks, grandmother clockes, atomic clocks, wall clocks, regulators, neon clockes, novelty clockes, astrolabiums, congreve clocks, telluriums, new grandfather clockes by Howard Miller Clock Companymand those Ridgeway Grandfather Clockes and Kieninger Clocks and Americana Grandfather Clockes, not to mention the Hermle Grandfather Clockes collection.

    We are known as both America’s Top Clock Shop™ and America’s Top Grandfather Clocks Shop™ . Perhaps we should also trademark Americas Top Clocke Shop™ and Americas Top Grandfather Clockes Shop™. Better sooner rather than later! We have seen this alternate spelling for clockes, or clocks, the world over, and yet even we are not sure where it originated. Anyone who has any knowledge on this clock fact and would care to share would make us and our clocks blog readers very appreciative. Our best sense, as the author of this post is quite familiar with the clock world, especially in both North America and Britain and the United Kingdom, our best is that it is a spelling used in a non-English language. Does not make it any less interesting for someone who is intrigued by new and antique clockes and clocks of all types.

    Of course we realize there are mechanical clocke movements or movements for wall clockes and mechanical and quartz clockes movements. The most common grandfather clocke chime by far being the Westminster Grandfather Clock, and with the movements today being made in any real quantity originating from Germle, and either Kieninger or Hermle.

    I suppose 1-800-4CLOCKS is fortunate in that it represents just the right number of characters so that we can be reached at 1-800-4CLOCKS, or 1-800-425-6257. Using the clockes terminology, we would not have been able to use that same marketing tie and and customer service and support that so many of our clockes customers have come to cherish over the years. Having the greatest selection of high-end heirloom quality grandfather clocks, with the best savings, the greatest value, with grandfather clocks on sale every day, and discount grandfather clocks and wall clocks and atomic and mantle clocks, along with lowest prices and the best customer service, it is no wonder why we have such a high percentage of repeat customers and referrals year after year after year.

    Clockes History – Look and Learn. Clockes is plural of Clocke.

    · © 2013 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • 0% Financing for Grandfather, Wall and Mantel Clocks

    0% Interest Free Financing on Grandfather, Mantle and Wall Clocks

    At 1-800-4CLOCKS, we strive to add value to meet all of our customers’ needs, and to make ordering from us as positive experience as possible. That is why we offer the

    0% APR 12 Month Interest Free Financing

    [as well as

    Free In-Home Set-Up

    on all new Grandfather Clocks (except quartz models, for which the set-up is so easy to do by oneself), and

    Free Shipping in USA and Canada

    ] on all orders for new clocks over $100].

    We are currently offering 2 (TWO) 0% Financing Options:

    OPTION 1 – NEWEST AND EASIEST:

    If you purchase a clock from our eBay Store, and clicking on this link will take you there ->

    1-800-4CLOCKS Store on eBay, simply purchase the clock on eBay, choose PayPal as your Method of Payment, and then Choose the BillMeLater payment option. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A CURRENT PAYPAL USER, OR EVEN EBAY MEMBER [although you would need to "join" or register with eBay (which has no cost and is a quick process)]. Depending upon the price point and subject to their Credit Approval, you will be eligible for:

    (a) 6 Months of 0% Financing — No payment for 6 months, with Zero Interest (full payment due at end of 6 month period)

    (b) 12 Months of 0% Financing, with monthly payments due

    (c) 18 Months of 0% Financing, with monthly payments due

    We are able to offer this at this time through purchases from us on eBay only through promotional financing we have in place with BillMeLater. Please read the BillMeLater Terms and Conditions carefully before agreeing. If you are not approved for the 0% Financing via BillMeLater via your eBay purchase, and want to cancel your purchase, we will work with you to do so in a way that there is no obligation on your part. You are then free to apply for the Second Financing Option we offer, described below. You can also choose to buy from us or our website directly, with no eBay usage or involvement whatsoever, with our alternative Financing Approach, described just below, which can of course also be your first choice for zero percent financing.

    OPTION 2 – OUR MORE TRADITIONAL FINANCING APPROACH:

    Our more traditional 0% APR Financing application is a very short and painless process, yet involves multiple steps, which is why we suggest the first approach be tried first. We work with a highly reputable financing company. There is a half-page form which we provide to you (simply call us or email us to request it!) to fill out.

    We work with a highly reputable financing company. There is a half-page form which we provide to you (simply call us or email us to request it!) to fill out.

    During weekday “normal” business hours, we will normally get a response to you within 1 hour. 90%+ of applications we receive are in fact approved for the 0% Financing.

    You

    WILL RECEIVE

    your Grandfather Clock (or any new clock over $500)

    BEFORE

    you even make the first of your 12 monthly payments

    (twelve monthly payments — simply the purchase price divided by 12 —

    NO HIDDEN FINANCING CHARGES!!!).

    Generally, if one pays their credit card bills reasonably on time, one will qualify for the 0% 12 month interest free 0% APR financing. In some cases, you may choose to, or we may request, a small % down-payment.

    Regarding sharing your information, please note we are members of the Better Business Bureau and the

    Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. Also, if you do a search on Google for 1-800-4CLOCKS, you will see something like 15,000+ search results for us [WE ARE CURRENTLY THE NUMBER 1 NON-PAID SEARCH RESULT FOR "GRANDFATHER CLOCK" ON

    www.GOOGLE.com!]. (ALSO, see an article in The New York Times (on their website) —

    link below

    — that features us importantly):

    New York Times

    Link to Article

    Importantly Featuring our Store ->

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/04/garden/04ape.html?ex=1304395200&en=9f2c3971bbba85d8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

    We have a Store in Grand Central Terminal. We are a well-established and highly reputable company. WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION 100% CONFIDENTIAL (and we literally destroy the paperwork after your application is approved).

    Feel free to call us [at 1-800-4CLOCKS (1-800-425-6257), Ext 1] to make sure we have the Grandfather Clock, or other clock over $500 in which you are interested, in stock. We could also answer any additional questions you may have, and send/email you the application form.

    · © 2012 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • Anton Schneider Cuckoo Clocks

    Black Forest

    Cuckoo Clocks, made over literally hundreds of years in the

    Black Forest of Germany

    by companies and individual craftsmen like Anton Schnieder Cuckoo Clocks, have set the gold standard for the highest quality and workmanship for both wall cuckoo clocks and the less common shelf cuckoo clocks. Of course, with the literally tens of thousands plus of individual craftsmen in the Black Forest region of Germany over hundreds of years, almost any kind of clock creation imaginable has been made including black forest rare and unusual black forest clocks, and cuckoo clocks. Also clocks with automation, monks, soldiers, exposed birds, singing birds, trumpeter clocks, flute clocks organ clocks, old shield cuckoos, musical clocks, and ornately carved German clocks.

    One of the personal favorites of the antique cuckoo clocks clocks is the cuckoo quail clock, where there are two doors for the bird, and the cuckoo will come out generally at the hour and half hour, and the cuckoo bird is joined by the quail bird on the hour. Cuckoos are actual birds, as explained on the Wikipedia website in part as follows: The cuckoos are generally medium sized slender birds. The majority are arboreal, with a sizable minority that are terrestrial. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, with the majority of species being tropical. Some species are migratory. The cuckoos feed on insects, insect larvae and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit. Many species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species, but the majority of species do raise their own young.

    Having said all of the above, have you ever see a young child not look at a cuckoo clock in delight and amazement as the cuckoo bird clock comes out of the cuckoo clock on the hour, or the eager anticipation as the hour nears and just the expectation of seeing the cuckoo bird, or the cuckoo and quail, brings squeals of delight from youngsters.

    The the types of cuckoo clocks can be grouped into 2 categories, with 3 subcategories in total. The first is mechanical cuckoo clocks, the highest quality of which are all still German and made by companies like Schneider or Hones. These fall into three subcategories, including 8 day mechanical clocks, which frequently include automata, and 1 day mechanical clocks, meaning that these clocks need to be wound, by pulling up the weights, every 8 or 1 day or days. The second category is quartz driven mechanical clocks which are run by batteries, and are generally much less expensive. They do not require winding, and the cone weights are purely decorative and do not go up and down. These quartz, or battery-driven, cuckoo clocks also generally have both automatic nighttime shutoff and volume control.

    The quality of the sound of the quartz cuckoo clocks is good, but not as good as the mechanical clocks. The mechanical clocks tend to have much more elaborate wooden case designs, frequently with quite entertaining moving figures or automata which can be quite entertaining. Dancers is one of many frequent motifs. Traditionalists tend to prefer the mechanical cuckoo clocks, as these are built the old fashioned way. More modern day cuckoo clocks tend to include many clock styles and designs which incorporate color to make the clock and its scenes much more vibrant and lively than can be done simply with hand carved dark wood. Almost all of the cuckoo clocks we sell are hand carved with solid wood and made in Germany, in the Black Forest region where Anton Schneider first started making cuckoo clocks well over a hundred years ago.

    Here are some examples of the different type of cuckoo clocks:

    8 Day Mechanical Schneider Cuckoo Clocks

    Eight Day Cuckoo Clocks

    1 Day Mechanical Schneider Black Forest Cuckoo Clock

    One Day Cuckoo Clocks

    Quartz Driven Schneider Cuckoo Clock

    Quartz Cuckoo Clocks

    Along with Schneider Cuckoo Clocks, other makers such as Rombach and Haas cuckoo clocks and Hones cuckoo clocks are still out there also making good quality German Black Forest cuckoo clocks. After many years of selling different cuckoo clock makers, we have found that the best overall maker of cuckoo clocks to best satisfy the needs of our customers with top quality clocks, great selection, and affordable prices is the Anton Schneider cuckoo clock collection.

    Cuckoo clock model 842-4 Cuckoo clock model 100

    · © 2012 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • Famous Wall Clocks

    What are some of the world’s most famous

    wall clocks? Well, we asked that question of many of our grandfather clocks and mantel clocks and wall clock customers who were shopping for both new and antique clocks.

    Somewhat surprisingly, at least to us, almost all answers related to modern day brands and makers, and clocks other than wall clocks, such as grandfather grandmother and mantel clocks frequently became part of the answer. Howard Miller Clocks, which makes not only their own branded wall clocks, but also Howard Miller

    Grandfather Clocks

    and Howard Miller Mantel and Atomic Clocks, seems to be the most recognized and respected high-end maker in today’s clocks marketplace. As some readers may know, Howard Miller, who founded Howard Miller Clocks almost 100 years ago, was the son of Herman Miller, the legendary maker of furniture targeting the office marketplace, synonymous for some with names like Eames and George Nelson, and still highly sought after today both as new furniture and highly collectible vintage and older pieces. What few know is that Howard Miller started his career at Herman Miller making Herman Miller branded clocks, including mantel clocks, wall clocks, and grandfather clocks. While still reasonably young, because Howard Miller became so enamored of clocks, he decided to start his own company literally just across the street from Herman Miller in Zeeland Michigan, and to this very day, both companies still exist as separate entities across the street from one another some 80 plus years later. A lot of grandfather clocks have chimed during this period, playing the Westminster Chime, Whittington Chime and St Michaels chimes.

    While Howard Miller was by far the most popular single answer, it was by no means the only one. Perhaps because of our historical roots as a store in New York’s Grand Central Station, some people said whoever that company was that made the four sided clock that sits on top of the Information Center in Grand Central. Almost no one knew that this masterpiece was made the the New York based Self Winding Clock Company, and the inside movement for that particular clock was made to spec by Seth Thomas Clocks. The Self Winding Clock Company of New York has been out of business for many years, but since they made so many spectacular clocks, their work and name lives on in clocks, particularly wall clocks, especially train station clocks and double sided clocks and gallery wall clocks, and a few grandfather clocks, around many parts of the world.

    Hermle Clocks was another name that came up a lot, although quite interestingly, people more often mispronounced the name of this great German clock company which has a history of at least 150 years. Hermle not only makes its wall clocks, but also makes its amazing Hermle Grandfather Clocks, Hermle Grandmother Clocks, and Hermle mantel clocks. Hermle Clocks is also known, along with Kieninger Clocks, as one of the last two remaining high-end mechanical movement manufacturers left in the world that makes mechanical movements in any larger quantity.

    Seth Thomas Clocks is another name that was mentioned often, and this maker must have over 100,000 working Seth Thomas Clocks of all types over the last 150 years, including grandfather, wall and mantel clocks, and atomic clocks in more recent years. Sadly, for at least the last couple of years, Seth Thomas Clocks has effectively been out of business or at least not making any clocks or employing people in any quantity other than at most administrative. We believe that because the Seth Thomas name, and its great reputation both in general and as America’s oldest clock company, that the company will come back into existence and into its own under new ownership in the not too distant future.

    Ridgeway Clocks, though known primarily as a maker of grandfather clocks, also comes up as an answer to who makes the best and most famous wall clocks. Ridgeway Clocks was in fact acquired by Howard Miller Clocks about 10 years ago. And for the last 8 or so years, all Ridgeway Clocks, including Ridgeway’s most famous grandfather clocks, have been made in the same places that Howard Miller clocks and Howard Miller grandfather clocks have been made. All of the grandfather clocks made by Ridgeway and Howard Miller have the same movements, with all the mechanical movements in more recent years having been made by Kieninger Clocks. Even more recently, the same people who design Howard Miller Clocks have been designing Ridgeway Clocks. And when one hears the Westminster Chime being played on a Ridgeway Grandfather Clock, it will sound identical, because comparable models will have the same movement, to a Howard Miller Grandfather Clock.

    Bulova Clocks did get some mentions, but most all people still think primarily of their high quality watches if they do not somehow have firsthand knowledge of their clocks offerings.

    So you have a favorite antique wall clock? We know some of ours would include the German made Gustav Becker clocks, the J W Benson Fusee wall clocks made in England, E Howard regulator clocks, not to mention the Tiffany wall clocks, which were made in small lots for individual designs, and by many different high-end makers, including A D Mougin and Japy Freres of France, among many, many others. Schneider cuckoo clocks, still made today, come to mind as well. We could go on and on here, but we would like to hear from you.

    Famous Clock atop Information Booth at New York’s Grand Central Station (courtesy iStock photo)

    Four-sided Grand Central Station clock

    · © 2012 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • $42 Million Grandfather Clock Built by Amazon CEO

    Jeff Bezos, who has been the guiding force behind

    Amazon

    for many years now, including its increasing success, has always been a man of vision even when it comes to grandfather clocks. While we have proudly sold

    Howard Miller Grandfather and Grandmother Clocks, along with Hermle Grandfather Clocks and Ridgeway Floor and Grandfather Clocks, our top price point always peaked out at around US$18,000 for our most expensive individual grandfather clock – in this case this model:

    Limited Edition Tubular Chime Grandfather Clock – Most Expensive Grandfather Clock made by Howard Miller Clocks

    Howard Miller Limited Edition J H Miller II 611031 611-031 Tubular Chime, discounted to around $18,000

    Little did we know what the market could bear for the price of a grandfather clock! Jeff Bezos has designed and it in the process of building a grandfather clock that will be both a giant physically, as well as lasting for at least 10,000 years. For the record, we expect most grandfather clocks we sell, with proper maintenance, to last at least 100-200 plus years. Perhaps we should consider throwing in a 10,000 Year Warranty as well.

    This clock, and this was reported in the Wall Street Journal and many other well established and respected organization, will be designed to chime every year. Mr. Bezos refers to this project and clock, reportedly, as “The 10,000 Year Clock”. He is planning to built it within the side of a mountain on his property, presumably for safekeeping if not for acoustic effect and weather risks as well.

    This

    grandfather clock

    will have a daily chime that is being specially choreographed by a well-known musician named Brian Eno, and it appears it may chime as frequently as every hour, according to our sources. Especially worthy of note though, is that the cuckoo clock sounding chime, at least as it is now envisioned, is also planning a unique chime sequence for every year and decade and century and millennium and beyond.

    The clock will also be open to the public for visits and tours. Jeff Bezos is saying he views this investment as an example of the importance of recognizing that we are all in this world together for the long haul. Perhaps he put it a bit more eloquently in stating, specifically “The reason I’m doing it is that it is a symbol of long-term thinking, and the idea of long-term responsibility,” who has spent at least $42 million on the timekeeper. “We humans have become so technologically sophisticated that in certain ways we’re dangerous to ourselves. It’s going to be increasingly important over time for humanity to take a longer-term view of its future.”

    In the meantime, 1-800-4CLOCKS.com would be delighted to be the exclusive distributor and dealer with and for others who might be desirous of having one of these same clocks for themselves. Mr. Bezos, we promise we will list it for sale on Amazon.com, hopefully with your endorsement.

    · © 2012 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • Grandfather Clocks Automata

    Moving pieces including figurines or ships or other parts can make a grandfather clock truly magical. The writer of this blog post is reminded of the amazing lock still in the Central Park Zoo, which every hour plays a wondrous chime and has different bronze animals rotate around the base of the clock. As a child, I found that clock truly amazing, and now, I don’t want to say exactly how many years later, I still find that magical timepiece, perhaps best termed a tower clock with automata, a marvel to behold.

    Over the last hundreds of years, makers of some of the finest timepieces have created works of art, with everything from grandfather clocks to wall clocks to mantel clocks to pocket watches which have moving parts and pieces. Perhaps some of the most popular, not too surprisingly, have been erotic pocket watches, as they are generally termed. If not familiar with them, one could guess what some of the main candidates for the moving pieces might be on those watches. But that is not the focus of clock and watch history here.

    Some wonder clocks will, for instance, have a ship that moves or rocks back and forth, sometimes but not always tied to the movement of the grandfather clock pendulum, and in that case generally moving in the opposite direction. Some clocks have moving planets and some feature the Earth’s moon rotating.

    Over many centuries, grandfather clocks and other amazing timepieces – giant, large and small – have featured moving animals, including dogs and cats with tails wagging and mouths opening or eyes moving or tongues coming in and out. Clocks with skulls and animals, including owls, show eyes which may not only rotate back and forth, but may actually move to look at the time as it changes, using the eye movements as the clock’s time indicator. Music boxes and nested bells are not unusual in some of the more elaborate clocks automata.

    Even one alarm clock, which is pictured below, and was made in the 1940s, shows that “the early bird gets the worm”, a clever alarm clock theme, and has the bird bobbing back up and down every second as the worm moves up and down toward the birds mouth.

    Rotating moonphase dials or moon dials on grandfather clocks are another wonderful form of what might be termed lower tech automata. The dials make one complete rotation every 29 1/2 days, in keeping with the actual lunar cycle. In ancient times, these moondial or moonphase

    grandfather clocks

    were used by farmers to help them to plan not only for the planting of crops, but also for the harvesting of the fruits of their labors.

    Even though this clock shows a still shot, one can see from the time delay aspect of the photo that both the bird, especially its tail, and the worm, have moved in this very short period of time.

    We think that clocks with automata have a great future. We are especially excited about grandfather clocks and mantle clocks in this regard. If grandfather clock shoppers, or those seeking mantel clocks, including corporate gift and promotional products, have any ideas for specific clocks with an automata component, we would love to hear from you about any and all of your wall clock, mantel clock, grandfather clocks, alarm clock, wristwatch, or any other specific type of suggestion or request.

    Early Bird Catches the Worm automata clock

    · © 2012 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • What your clock collection says about you

    We at 1-800-4CLOCKS.com have many serious clock collectors as customers. The most serious collectors of clocks tend to be

    grandfather clock

    collectors, but we also have many serious wall clocks and mantel clocks collectors as well. Many have themed clock collections, such as those from the Black Forest of Germany, or say, miniature grandfather clocks or trinket clocks like those of street clocks or tower clocks or, say, bicycle clocks. The clock possibilities and the themes behind them just go on and on.

    But what if a serious collector has, say, 10 grandfather clocks in his or her home. Does that make this person a

    hoarder, a psychological term that seems to be thrown around rather loosely these days by people many of whom have few if any credentials in the area. What if each clock represents a different time and place in clock making history. Since the dawn of grandfather clocks in about 1650, and with distinct styles first in Western Europe, most specifically in Great Britain, Germany, France, Sweden and the Netherlands, and Eastern Europe, perhaps most notably linked with Viennese grandfather clocks, many exports specifically designed to meet the customer needs in the Far East including China and Japan, not to mention the American innovations added in more recent centuries, it is not difficult to imagine assembling a museum-like collection of antique grandfather clocks.

    If one has the space and resources to afford it, we view this as a healthy habit which should be treasured by oneself and shared with others, whether they be horological fanatics or not. Tallcase and longcase clocks, also known as floor clocks, are each a special work of art.

    Having said that, it is worth noting that there are some major grandfather clock museums around the world, and depending upon one’s estate planning approach,

    donating one or all antique clocks

    to a worthy institution is certainly something to be considered seriously. The same holds true for mantle clocks and wall clocks.

    Sadly, clocks made in the last 100 years are not in most all cases – there are always exceptions to almost any rule – would not be of interest to a timepiece museum. We would also suggesting thinking about donations to local historical societies, municipal libraries, universities and colleges, and other worthy organizations.

    Now if an individual had 100 grandfather clocks where it was hard for them to explain or for you to understand what the differences are between the many clocks, then, my friends, there may in fact be a more serious hoarding-type problem. We should point out that we are not professional psychiatrists or psychologists. Having said all that, if you are one of these people and all still convinced you need more grandfather, wall or mantel clocks, please be sure to make us your one stop shop for all your grandfather clock, wall clock, atomic clock, and mantel clock needs.

    We are here to help, not to diagnose!

    · © 2011 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • Grandfather Clocks Parts

    No thank you, we do not carry parts for

    grandfather clocks. Or wall clocks parts, or parts for mantle clocks, or even mantel clocks, nor atomic clocks nor parts for cuckoo clocks. And we do not sell movements for grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks, atomic clocks, or pretty much any clock or watch or pocket watch.

    So why do we get so many visits and calls and emails from prospective customers looking for grandfather clock parts. Not to be rude, BUT PLEASE DO NOT CALL US FOR GRANDFATHER CLOCK PARTS! OR ANY WALL CLOCK PARTS, OR MANTLE CLOCKS PARTS, OR CUCKOO CLOCK PARTS — well, you probably get the idea…

    You might be interested in the grandfather clock parts resource we supplied in one of our posts to our very own grandfather clocks blog and is repeated here for your use and convenience.

    We would suggest the following 3 resources:

    Look on this page on our website to see if you can find an answer to your question(s): just click on ->

    http://www.1-800-4clocks.com/page/CLOCKS/ClockFAQ

    You can locate a Howard Miller Authorized Service Center local to you here ->

    http://cql.howardmiller.com/HM/ServiceCenterLocator.aspx.

    NOTE that all mechanical Howard Miller clocks had Hermle movements in them until about 5 years ago, and that most any if not all of these Service Centers should be able to work on any Hermle Clock. This Service Center Network is a great resource, and we have had an excellent experiences working with Service Centers around the Country (and also Canada) using this Service Center Network. Probably at least half of these Service Centers can work on antique clocks too, as well as other Brands of Clocks!!!!

    You can order Hermle (and other) Parts (e.g. movements, weights, pendulum, keys, etc.) from the following 2 suppliers ->

    www.BlackForestImports.com

    and

    www.Merritts.com. While we have no relationship to them whatsoever, we personally have had good results working with them ourselves. Their contact information is available on each of the noted websites. We would most definitely recommend calling them rather than attempting to order from their websites (which would likely be a fruitless effort).

    Please pay special attention to the Howard Miller Authorized Service Center Directory, which is search-able by zip code. It can even come in incredibly handy if you are moving a grandfather clock from one part of the country to another. Just simply find and hire the best available packing grandfather clocks shipping (who should also have knowledge about the shipping companies and access to the best rates, if you are not transporting the clock yourself. Then you can hire a local Howard Miller or Ridgeway Authorized Service Technician on the delivery end to unpack and set-up the grandfather clock in its new home. It is not at all uncommon that even with the best packing, and reasonable handling, a grandfather clock may require adjustment upon delivery by a qualified technician.

    For repairs or transportation of grandfather clocks, wall clocks, mantle clocks, atomic clocks and more, IF YOU ARE IN THE New York tri-state region, feel free to contact us. If you live elsewhere, you will save yourself some time by following the advice above, and get your parts elsewhere in almost all cases.

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