Hermle Grandfather Clocks combine traditional mechanical clockmaking with a surprisingly broad range of cabinet styles, movements, chimes and features. They are also commonly described as Hermle Floor Clocks. For most clock shoppers, the terms grandfather clock and floor clock describe the same general category of tall, freestanding clocks.
Hermle has been making clocks and clock movements since 1922. Today, Hermle Grandfather Clocks are particularly noteworthy because the grandfather clock industry has changed dramatically, while Hermle continues to offer mechanical floor clocks and manufacture mechanical clock movements.
Hermle Grandfather Clocks and Hermle Floor Clocks
The terminology can sometimes make shopping more confusing than it needs to be. Grandfather clocks, floor clocks, tall case clocks and longcase clocks are closely related terms. Customers also frequently use the term grandmother clock for somewhat smaller examples. In everyday clock shopping, however, “grandfather clock” and “floor clock” are often used interchangeably.
Hermle currently offers both traditional and more contemporary interpretations of the floor clock. Some emphasize ornate wooden cabinetry, decorative dials and classic styling, while others use slimmer cases and cleaner lines that can work in more contemporary interiors.
Mechanical Hermle Grandfather Clock Movements
One of the defining features of many Hermle Grandfather Clocks is the mechanical movement. Instead of relying on a battery to power the clock, traditional mechanical floor clocks use suspended weights to provide the energy that operates the timekeeping and chiming mechanisms.
Current Hermle floor clocks include both chain-driven and cable-driven mechanical movements. With a chain-driven clock, the weights are raised by pulling the free ends of the chains. With a cable-driven clock, a winding crank or key is generally used to raise the weights. Both systems are longstanding approaches to powering mechanical grandfather clocks.
Many Hermle mechanical floor clocks use approximately eight-day movements, meaning that regular winding is generally a weekly routine. The pendulum regulates the clock while the weights supply power to the movement.
Hermle Grandfather Clock Chimes
The chime is one of the features that can make a mechanical grandfather clock very different from an ordinary timepiece. Westminster is a familiar choice on Hermle floor clocks, while selected models offer multiple melodies or triple-chime movements.
Depending upon the particular clock and movement, additional chime choices can include melodies such as Whittington and St. Michael. Some Hermle Grandfather Clocks are also available with tubular chimes, which use resonating metal tubes rather than conventional chime rods and can produce a particularly rich sound.
Features vary considerably by model, so the movement and chime specification can be just as important as the appearance of the cabinet when comparing grandfather clocks.
Night Shutoff, Moon Phase and Other Features
Many current Hermle Grandfather Clocks include an automatic night shutoff that silences the chime during nighttime hours. A manual silencing control is also available on various models. These features can be especially useful when the clock is located near bedrooms or other quiet areas of a home.
Moon-phase dials remain another traditional feature on a number of Hermle floor clocks. In addition to their decorative role, these displays continue a feature associated with mechanical tall-case clocks for generations.
Other details can include elaborate brass-finished dials, decorative pendulums and weights, beveled glass, wood inlays and a wide variety of case treatments. Because specifications vary from one model to another, two Hermle Grandfather Clocks that look generally similar can have substantially different movements, chimes and features.
Traditional and Contemporary Hermle Floor Clocks
A grandfather clock does not necessarily have to look old-fashioned. Hermle offers traditional tall-case designs as well as slimmer and more contemporary floor clocks. This makes dimensions and placement important considerations when selecting a clock.
A large traditional cabinet can become a major architectural feature in a room, while a narrower floor clock may fit spaces where a conventional full-size grandfather clock would be impractical. Height, width and depth should therefore be considered along with movement and chime choices.
Where Hermle Grandfather Clocks Are Made
The answer depends upon the model. Hermle is a German clockmaker and continues to manufacture mechanical clock movements and clocks in Germany. Hermle North America also manufactures selected grandfather clock cases in Amherst, Virginia, pairing those American-made cases with German-made Hermle movements and accessories. Other Hermle floor-clock models are made in Germany.
This combination is worth understanding because a Hermle Grandfather Clock should not automatically be described simply as either entirely German-made or entirely American-made. The correct description depends upon the individual model.
Choosing a Hermle Grandfather Clock
When comparing Hermle Grandfather Clocks, it is useful to look beyond cabinet appearance. Important considerations include whether the movement is chain-driven or cable-driven, the available chime melodies, whether the clock has automatic night shutoff, the style of the dial and pendulum, the cabinet dimensions, and whether features such as a moon-phase dial or tubular chimes are important to you.
Mechanical grandfather clocks also require a different kind of ownership than quartz clocks. They need periodic winding, appropriate setup and leveling, and sensible care of the cabinet and mechanical movement. For many owners, those characteristics are part of the attraction: the movement, pendulum, weights and chimes make the clock both a functional timepiece and a piece of mechanical craftsmanship.
Hermle Clocks Beyond Grandfather Clocks
Grandfather and floor clocks are only one part of the Hermle range. The company also makes wall clocks and regulators, mantel and table clocks, mechanical movements and unusual specialty timepieces.
For a broader look at the manufacturer and its different types of clocks, see our Hermle Clocks guide.
Hermle also makes highly specialized astronomical clocks. Our separate resources cover Hermle Telluriums and our detailed Hermle Tellurium Instruction Guide.
Hermle Grandfather Clocks Today
The grandfather clock market is very different from what it was only a generation ago. Many familiar clock manufacturers and brands have disappeared, changed ownership or left portions of the mechanical clock market. Hermle remains an important name because it continues to make both complete clocks and the mechanical movements at the heart of many traditional clocks.
For anyone considering a new mechanical floor clock, Hermle Grandfather Clocks therefore deserve attention not merely as furniture, but as examples of a form of mechanical clockmaking that has become increasingly uncommon in the modern clock industry.