Clocks Blog

Category: Events, Holidays & Culture

  • Clock Emojis Are Becoming Popular

    What your emojis say about you? Wall clock emojis are rising in popularity, according to a new paper published Tuesday in the journal

    Trends

    on

    Cognitive Sciences, a team of psychologists argue that as our daily interactions become more digital, scientists will benefit from studying them further. In particular, due to the growing use of emojis helping us get the same satisfaction from digital interactions as if we were communicating in person.

    Grandfather Clocks emojis have also been in use for a while and may be rising in popularity as well. We have yet to see branded emojis for Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks or Hermle Clocks or Ridgeway grandfather clocks, but they may be coming soon. We would be very interested in hearing from any developer who can make great emojis in the style of mantel clocks or Kieninger Grandfather Clocks.

    Express yourself with wall clocks emojis. The world is waiting.

    Clocks Among More Popular Emojis per CNN and Other Studies

    · © 2017 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • NASCAR Ridgeway Martinsville Grandfather Clock R2505

    Prized NASCAR Ridgeway Martinsville grandfather clock 2505. According to the SB Nation dot com website, whomever wins a race at the legendary

    NASCAR Martinsville Speedway, a Grandfather clock is awaiting them in Victory Lane. The

    Ridgeway Martinsville Grandfather Clock

    is a trophy that has become one of the most recognizable and sought after in NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt Jr has high hopes and expectations for winning at Martinsville Raceway, just like his father did on 6 previous occasions.

    But it was not meant to be. While Dale Earnhardt Jr reclaimed his #1 spot in the NASCAR power rankings. he finished 3rd in last Sunday’s race. So his quest for a Martinsville grandfather clock continues, as Earnhardt had neither the car nor the tires to contend with Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson for the win. But in a testament to the kind of season he has had so far, Earnhardt’s third-place effort Sunday was the fourth time he has finished third or better this year. That is impressive!

    Our grandfather clock inquiry phone lines have been buzzing lately due to the NASCAR enthusiast and grandfather clock shoppers who are NASCAR fans and have been reading the press about Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, and the prized award of a Ridgeway Martinsville Grandfather Clock model R2505 for the winner of Sunday March 31 NASCAR Martinsville race.

    NASCAR and the Ridgeway Grandfather Clock Company, which is nowadays a division of Howard Miller Clocks — and Howard Miller Grandfather Clocks are truly equivalent, with the grandfather clock cases being made in the same place in Michigan, and the same German mechanical movements made by Kieninger Clocks being used, aside from different styles, it is really only the name on the grandfather clock dial that makes the grandfather clock appear different in a meaningful way — have a long history of grandfather clocks and floor clocks being given as prizes to NASCAR Champions.

    NASCAR, as many will know, stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. Many think Martinsville is NASCAR’s best track!

    So, Dale, we know you want to win one of these Ridgeway Grandfather Clock’s Martinsville models by winning this race, and while we surely think you will, perhaps you or one or many of your fans will be tempted to get this great Ridgeway grandfather clock so you can use them as bookends of sorts, or better, as pillars between which to park your winning race car.

    We are always thrilled to have NASCAR fans shop with us, as we are for all the major USA sports including NFL, MLB and the PGA among others.

    Here’s the famous NASCAR Ridgeway Martinsville Grandfather Clock model, with a link to it on the 1-800-4CLOCKS website:

    Ridgeway Martinsville NASCAR Grandfather Clock R2505

    Ridgeway Martinsville Grandfather Clock

    List: $3,657.50

    SALE: $2,560.25

    · © 2014 ClocksBlog.com and 1-800-4CLOCKS

  • News for Clocks

    Clocks of all kinds, including

    grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks, have been top of mind in news reporting in recent weeks. Just today we read an article about the Affordable Healthcare Clock, presumably referencing the time remaining both the have the recent and some still current website glitches fixed by the end of November at the latest, as scheduled, to the same clock countdown news notion being applied to people having only a certain time window to apply and be registered with an Affordable Health Care Insurance Policy, more commonly known as

    ObamaCare, before they risk losing their coverage entirely. The people perhaps most concerned and susceptible to “getting lost” in the system, many of whom may be grandparents and even own their own grandfather clock, are those with pre-existing conditions which either would have made them not eligible for any health insurance in many cases, to those who may be somewhat to very ill, and are either currently covered but their insurance may be canceled, or are currently covered but may want to take advantage of policies which may have overall better coverage, and possibly at less cost, particularly in many instances when government subsidies may kick in for those individuals. These individuals may (or in many cases may not) be the least able to fend for themselves, and have the most to gain or lose by having everything fall in place in time so they will miss no deadlines. In other clock news, just today President Obama formally apologized to the American people for having, we believe in good faith, telling Americans that if you like your existing policy and existing doctor, you can keep them. The main reason that fell by the wayside is that insurance companies, rather than perhaps rejiggering policies which did not meet the minimum standards of the Affordable Health Care Act, by and large it seems they simply canceled those policies. Some no doubt may be worse off, and many no doubt will be better off, and all no doubt will have better coverage than they had before should the “unthinkable” happen to them. As the clocks count down, the Country will hopefully set it with an alarm so that people will realize that with so many more covered with insurance, and with fewer visits being necessary to Emergency Rooms for the uninsured, along with about 100 other factors, more people will have many fewer financial and health care risks, more people will have coverage and better coverage, and overall we should continue to see a continuing slowdown in the rise of healthcare costs, which assuming the quality is the same or better, can and will make a tremendous difference to the state of the USA economy and our longer-term competitiveness.

    Should we be calling this Health News for Clocks, or perhaps Grandfather Clocks Health News.

    Clocks and counting down have played a big role in other countdowns. There was the pre Government Shutdown Countdown. Then there was the timer clock for How Long the USA Government had been shut down. There was the Ohio Grandfather Clock outside the US Capitol Senate assembly room, in the Ohio Corridor of the Senate Building section, which stopped suddenly and mysteriously during the Government shutdown.

    Now everyone is counting everything, including using clocks and timers and counters and countdowns to measure:

    Number and types of problems with website for Affordable Care Act.

    Number of days until everything, or mostly everything, should be fixed.

    Numbers of people who have successfully signed up for this new health insurance — not only on Day 1 but week 1, week 2 and on and on.

    Numbers of people who have visited, with a count by type of problem encountered.

    How these numbers may effect midterm elections for the House and Senate.

    We could keep going for hours.

    This started as a post of News for Clocks, so here is more. It was reported just today that the US Economy clocked an impressive 2.8% growth in GDP, significantly higher than expected, in the 3rd Quarter. Great clock news! With the Senate passage also just today of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), Anti-gay bigots are getting their clocks cleaned! A not too cynical interpretation of today’s events and prior history would be that Democrats and Republicans both made clear that they agree on something significant: Gay rights are currently a winning issue for Democrats and a losing one for the GOP.

    One thing is for sure whether we are talking wall clocks or grandfather clocks or mantel clocks, which is don’t count out the clocks factor. Clocks and time immortal even made there appearance this past weekend with Daylight Savings Time (DST), where we all had to move our clocks back an hour, it being the Fall Season.

    Health Alarm Clock Built In to All of Us

    Health alarm clock built into all of us

    · © 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

  • Contemporary Floor Clocks

    Floor Clocks

    include grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks. Some high-end makers, such as

    Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks, Hermle Grandfather Clock Collection and even Kieninger Clocks seem to prefer to use the floor clock definition or nomenclature compared to a grandmother clock or a grandfather clock.

    Having said that, new Contemporary Floor Clocks and contemporary grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks, are introduced over time by many of the leading grandfather clock makers. We are always open to new designs and new ideas for contemporary grandfather clocks, and have even thought of having a floor clock or grandfather clock design competition for contemporary floor clocks. One key question is what would make a floor clock or grandfather clock design a winner? How many floor clocks of that design we sell would be a popularity measure, but it is a lagging measure and the floor clock design award would have to be bestowed after many clocks were made. Artistic originality for a floor clock design might work, but we don’t want an artistic

    modern floor clock

    with, for example, a preserved shark in a clear glass container which is reminiscent of some recent art design awards of note. We will not name the names of any artist here, as we may not being doing him/her artistic due or justice.

    While most traditional floor clocks are made of wood cases, it is probably fair to say that many of the metal or metallic designs might be considered contemporary floor clocks. Yet some wooden case clocks, usually featuring and incorporating unusual glass designs, would also definitely be classified by most all as contemporary.

    Clock chimes on contemporary floor clocks or grandfather clocks may well be different from or add to the most commonly known Westminster Chimes, of Big Ben Tower Clock fame, as some newer movements have Beethoven’s Ode to Joy and Schubert’s Ave Maria incorporated into their mechanical cable driven grandfather clock movements. This is different from the antique grandfather clocks which frequently were strike only, or the addition of the Whittington and St Michaels chimes most commonly found on many of the triple chime grandfather clocks made in more recent years.

    Contemporary Floor Clocks, depending upon the definition of contemporary, also include newer features like automatic night-time shutoff, illuminated cabinets, and even illuminated dials on some models. We believe we will start to see Atomic Grandfather Clocks and Atomic time Floor Clocks in the very near future as the technology becomes more and more popular. We are still waiting for digital grandfather clocks and digital floor clocks.

    Here below are several examples of contemporary floor clocks, and contemporary grandfather clocks and grandmother clocks as well. Feel free to add floor clock contemporary design suggestions.

    Hermle Single Chime Nantes Grandfather Clock

    List: $15,573.00

    SALE: $10,122.00

    Hermle Single Chime Parkhurst Grandfather Clock

    List: $7,836.00

    SALE: $5,093.00

    Americana Indio Grandfather Clock

    List: $4,182.00

    SALE: $3,136.50

    Americana Savanna Grandfather Clock

    List: $4,510.00

    SALE: $3,382.50

    Howard Miller Arendal Grandfather Clock

    List: $4,446.00

    SALE: $3,112.20

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

  • Antique Grandfather Clock

    Antique grandfather clocks

    have many charms. Having an antique grandfather clock or antique floor clock in your home or office is like having a living piece of history as part of your decor. Depending upon the age and provenance of the antique grandfather or grandmother clock, given that some grandfather clocks go back to the 1600s, and we in fact sold one from the late 1600s several years ago, the grandfather clock could have been owned in some cases by 10, 20, 30 or even 40 generations of owners. These antique grandfather clocks are true family heirlooms. If only they could talk, who knows what tales of both family and world history they could tell or might have observed.

    The earliest antique

    grandfather clocks

    were made in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, as well as the Black Forest region of Germany, Austria, Holland, Switzerland and other parts of Western Europe. No doubt some additional countries also had additional pioneers and makers in the grandfather clocks and floor standing regulator and floor clocks industry, also known back then and still today as tall-case and longcase clocks.

    What are the differences between today’s floor clocks or grandfather clocks and those made, say, 75 to 150 years ago? And why do buyers of grandfather clocks, at least in the USA, tend to gravitate more towards brand new grandfather clocks made by makers such as Howard Miller Clocks, Ridgeway Clocks, Hermle Clocks and Kieninger Clocks? The grandfather clock purchase decision criteria that we have observed are multifaceted. Buyers of brand new clocks tend to favor the convenience of purchasing a brand new grandfather clock, after aggressive shopping for grandfather clock discounts and grandfather clocks on sale, where the chance of any special maintenance or

    repair or restoration

    or malfunction is essentially close to zero if purchasing a high-end grandfather clock, such as a Howard Miller Grandfather Clock or one in the line of Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks.

    So convenience and knowing what you are getting seem to be one driving force. Others are that newer clocks tend to come with lots of bells and whistles, most of which did not even exist in antique grandfather clocks, and some others which would make such antique clocks prohibitively expensive today. Grandfather clock chimes may be the best single example, with most high-end grandfather clocks being made today having Westminster Chimes, and frequently being triple chime grandfather clocks also including chimes such as Whittington, St Michaels, and even Ave Maria and Ode to Joy clock chimes. Working moon phase dials are another plus. Illuminated dials and cabinets did not exist until recent years. The same is true of the automatic night shut-off chime option built into many of the nicer floor clocks offered today as brand new grandfather clocks.

    Grandfather clock cases made today can certainly rival many of those made in the past. In fact, many of today’s clocks are modeled after some of the nicest traditional and historical grandfather clocks from years gone by.

    Having said that, there is something to be said both for the individual handcrafted antique clocks which may truly be housed in amazing grandfather clock cases. At the same time, today there are available contemporary grandfather clocks which have a design, look and feel one would never find in an antique grandfather clock.

    We addressed chimes, but one of the biggest differences between antique grandfather clocks and today’s high-end grandfather clocks is in the volume not so much of the chimes, because most antique grandfather clocks did not have chimes, but rather the volume of the hourly gong and strike. Antique clocks, and even many vintage clocks, have a much much higher decibel level or volume on average. The reason is relatively straightforward. Historically, people relied on their grandfather clocks to know the time, and they wanted to hear it unmistakably and throughout their house, within reason. Today’s grandfather clock owners frequently have their grandfather clocks in their living rooms, and not only are their other clocks and watches, but there is their new Apple iPhone 5 and large Sony or Samsung flat-screen television, not to mention the time shown on their personal computers or Macs, or xBox or Playstation in the room as well, all competing for attention. So the makers of grandfather clock movements, Hermle Clocks and Kieninger Clocks in particular being the last 2 remaining makers, both of them German, of grandfather clock movements who make them in any large quantity (and worth having in a floor clock). So this is an important difference.

    There will always be a place for antique grandfather clocks and antique floor clocks and antique grandmother clocks. But buyers of these clocks really need to do their homework to make sure they are buying what they think they are buying, that they know its advantages and disadvantages, are are not taken for a ride by an unscrupulous seller or antiques dealer. Many antique grandfather clocks are what’s known as marriages, where the movement of one clock has been put in the case of another. This drastically lowers the collectible value of any grandfather clock. Another risk is buying into a money pit, where more and more work may be required to get the clock working to a satisfactory level. This risk also drives many individuals to but only brand new grandfather clocks.

    Do you have an opinion about new vs antique grandfather clocks? Please feel free to leave any comments and open a discussion thread. As we deal in both antique clocks of all kinds, including wall clocks and mantel clocks, and even tower clocks and street clocks, we are open to all perspectives, and want to keep a healthy dialogue and marketplace for collectors of antiques as well as those more focused on interior design and decor.

    Antique grandfather clocks floor clock by Jonas Pollard of Crediton England in Mahogany, circa 1800

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

  • Floor and Grandfather Clocks

    Are you spending this

    Labor Day weekend

    looking for great sales and discounts on Howard Miller

    Floor Clocks

    or Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks? Have you noticed that the large department stores no longer stock grandfather clocks, so that you can see these floor clocks on display. In New York City, about 10 years ago, Fortunoff used to stock mechanical grandfather clocks made by Howard Miller, even if in small numbers. Then about 7 years ago, they stopped stocking not only floor clocks but also mechanical mantel clocks and mechanical wall clocks. The did have some of these floor, mantle and wall clocks on display in their suburban locations only, but then as most readers of this clocks blog will know, they went not only out of the grandfather floor clocks, wall clocks and mantel clocks market, but out of business entirely.

    Fortunoff was not only a victim of the recession and perhaps other ills. They also carried fine jewelry including diamond earrings and engagement rings and wedding presents, and well as being a mainstay in the wedding registry and bridal gifts and shopping, and also best man gifts market niche. People would also register for their favorite china pattern there, including Royal Doulton, Villeroy and Bosch, Wedgewood China and many others. The author of this blog post used to use it and Tiffany Company as a place of choice not only for great wedding gifts but also for the perfect anniversary present.

    Probably not too surprising for the readers of Clocks Blog, we have found the gift of time, namely grandfather clocks and floor clocks, not to mention mantel clocks and wall clocks, to be the ideal heirloom quality present to gift for that special occasion, wedding it be an engagement present, a marriage or wedding gift, a special anniversary, a milestone birthday, a gift for a special promotion or even as a great special thank you gift. We have many young adults who purchase a floor clock as the ideal anniversary present for a 20th or 25th or 30th or 50th anniversary present from child or children to parents. We have frequently been asked about our own grandfather clocks bridal registry service. More recently, we have been getting inquiries of all kinds specifically related to gay weddings and the perfect gay wedding gift or wedding present, as the laws are changing regarding both marriage and civil ceremonies around the country.

    Even in the age of iPods and iPads and Flat Screen TVs, not to mention gaming systems and cable television and satellite programming, and even the ability to record and play more and more content, and even have it streamed to households, we are finding that many many people still to this day and therefore it is safe to say going forward to not consider a house or an apartment a home unless it has a floor clock, chiming Westminster wall clock, mechanical mantel clock or triple chime grandfather clock to make a house a home.

    Floor Clocks and Grandfather Clocks – some leading makers

    Howard Miller Floor Clocks

    Ridgeway Grandfather Clocks

    Hermle Floor Clocks

    Kieninger Grandfather Clocks and Floor Clocks

    Americana Floor Clocks and Grandfather Clock selection – stay tuned for more on this

    Hentschel Grandfather Clocks

    As well as some of the makers of yesteryear, including

    Seth Thomas Grandfather Clocks

    Sligh Floor Clocks

    Bulova Grandfather Clocks

    Museum Grandfather Clocks

    Kuemple Chime Floor Clocks and Grandfather and Floor Clock Kits

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

  • Pocket Watches of the Notorious and Famous

    Today on Clocks Blog we want to feature to pocket watches owned by well-known individuals. One belonged to the world’s most famous escape artist and magician Harold Houdini. It reasonably came up for sale at an auction, and the private buyer is rumored to be one of today’s top magicians. The other pocket watch we feature here was owned by the infamous Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde fame, as was an Elgin pocket watch.

    On a quiet May morning in 1934, the most wanted bank-robbing gangster Clyde Barrow and his equally notorious accomplice Bonnie Parker fatally drove their car into an FBI ambush. The posse of lawmen fired over 130 bullets at the cornered couple, and when the smoke cleared, Bonnie and Clyde were dead.

    Barrow was carrying his Elgin pocket watch when he met his violent end. That watch is being auctioned September 30 in New Hampshire and may bring between $50,000 and $100,000. The watch is an Elgin 17-jewel, ¾-plate, 16-size, open-face, 10K, gold-filled pocket watch, in its original Wadsworth screw-back and bezel case. It has stem winding and setting, with a railroad-style double-sunk dial, bold Arabic numerals, and bold blued-steel hands.

    In the 1930s the criminal deeds of Bonnie and Clyde were celebrated in word and song. Their crime spree between 1931 and 1934 resulted in the robbery of over a dozen banks and numerous rural stores and gas stations in several states in the Midwest and the South. Thirteen killings have been blamed on the gang.

    Here is a photo of the actual pocket watch that was owned by Clyde Barrow.

    Harold Houdini’s pocket watch, perhaps not unexpectedly, was a much more complicated timepiece. It was inscribed “To My Dear Pal Houdini, from his Sincere Friend, Harry Day, May 1914″. We understand that Harry Day was

    Harry Houdini’s great friend and business manager, and this solid gold timepiece, whose maker is not known but is certainly of a very high caliber, is not only a Repeater Movement but is also a day month year calendar watch and stopwatch, with a moonphase no less, that would be an exceptional movement and timepiece were it in a grandfather clock size movement or gallery wall clock or even mantel clock size, much less fitted into a small pocket watch case.

    This watch was recently sold at Bonham’s Auction House in California, and as noted above, and according to our sources, went to a well-known modern day magician. Enjoy the pictures below of this master timepiece.

    Harry Houdini Pocket Watch, sold recently at auction at Bonhams of California

    Harry Houdini Pocket Watch Engraving from Harry Day, May 1914

    By having Bonnie and Clyde and Harry Houdini share any blog post much less a clock and watches relate blog post is likely a first. About Harry Houdini’s work we will only add that we have and will admire his contributions for the ages. Bonnie and Clyde, nope.

    Bonnie and Clyde Elgin pocket watch Harry Houdini pocket watch front Harry Houdini personally engraved pocket watch

    · © 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.

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