Grandfather Clock

A grandfather clock, commonly known as a longcase clock or tall-case clock, is a standalone pendulum clock with the pendulum held inside the tower or waist of the case. Three different terms have been applied to clocks with this form, viz., “grandfather", "grandmother" and "granddaughter". A clock smaller than 1.5m (5 feet) is a called “granddaughter”, over 1.5m (5 feet) is a “grandmother” and over 1.8m (6 feet) is a “grandfather”. A grandfather clock was first developed by the English clockmaker William Clement in 1670. These clocks usually feature a case with detailed carved ornamentation on the hood or bonnet, which surrounds and frames the dial or clock face.

Many of these weight-driven clocks are sometimes also called striking clocks, which produces sound on each hour or fraction of an hour. Originally, two types of grandfather clocks were made, depending on two types of movement - eight-day movements and 30-hour movements. The eight-day movement’s clocks required winding once a week, whereas the generally lower-priced 30-hour clock had to be wound every day. The former type of clock is driven by two weights - one driving the pendulum and the other the striking mechanism, usually consisting of a bell or chimes. The 30-hour clocks often had a single weight that drove both the pendulum and the chimes.

These clocks were originally handcrafted. However, now-a-days there are many companies that take up orders to construct such clocks. One of the widely known handcrafted antique grandfather clocks for sale is the Edward Meyer grandfather clock, which comes in various finishes and is easily available in online stores.