Heirloom Clocks

Quality clocks have always been an expensive acquisition, and very coveted ones at that. Clocks often come into a family at the time of marriage, or as gifts at some other milestone in the family history, such as a birth. For this reason, clocks are often passed down from generation-to-generation, not just as symbols of wealth and prosperity, but also carrying with them sentimental stories for generations to come.

Creating Heirloom Clocks
With these facts in mind, many young families of today, if they do not already have an heirloom clock, often plan to create one. Sometimes they choose with an eye on the history of their family-where in the world they came from, and what were their professions (nautical, for example, would warrant a maritime clock). Others recognize their wonderful freedom of choice and simply go for the most beautiful clock they can find.

All kinds of styles are examples of potential heirloom clocks; carriage clocks, grandfather clocks, mantel clocks, cuckoo clocks and so on. Clocks are in such demand today-perhaps more than they ever were-that companies that specialize in reproduction and high quality clocks are doing extremely good business. Everyone wants an heirloom clock.

Your Heirloom Clock
If you are thinking of creating an heirloom clock for your family, why not have the best of both worlds. You might take into consideration the predominant nationality of your ancestors, and then choose a style that is synonymous with that part of the world (for Germany it would be cuckoo clocks of course). You will not be restricted, whatever you decide. As far as heirloom clocks are concerned, the world is our oyster.

Maritime Clocks

Maritime clocks, also called nautical clocks and marine chronometers, were the most accurate clocks of their day. They had to be because seamen used them for navigation purposes. Longitude cannot be set unless there is an accurate source of timekeeping. Their use has now been superceded by atomic clocks, which are infinitely more accurate, but the popularity of maritime clocks lives on because they are simply so attractive.

The Maritime Clock Lives On
They are so popular that the best modern clockmakers, such as Ridgeway and Howard Miller Clocks, produce modern reproductions of original designs. They are generally not too large in size, and though they're nearly always made of brass, they are inexpensive when compared to other types of collectible clocks, such as carriage clocks or grandfather clocks.

The Link With Pendulum Clocks
Christian Huygens, the inventor of the pendulum clock, was also the person who attempted to solve the problem of establishing longitude at sea by constructing a durable, accurate timepiece for purposes of marine navigation. He worked in collaboration with Alexander Bruce and between 1662 and 1665 Bruce organized and supervised sea trials of their invention. Originally, two clocks hung side-by-side were required for the job. This posed a solution to the obvious problems if one clock stopped or had to be cleaned. There is always safety in numbers!

Nautical Clocks

Before the invention of the atomic clock, nautical clocks were what seamen relied upon for navigation purposes. Accurate clocks were needed to measure longitude. Clocks that can do this are also called maritime chronometers. They are mostly twenty-four hour analog clocks (analog clocks are those that have an hour and a minute hand.

Forerunners of the Nautical Clock
The Arabian astrolabe was another forerunner of the twenty-four hour clock. The Arabs began to add gears to their clocks in the eighth century, and these were the first mechanical clocks. The astrolabe was a model of the solar system so it counted twenty-four hours rather than twelve.

A maritime clock would indicate periods of high tide and low tide as well as positions of the moon and stars. Sometimes a barometer was included in the face along with a thermometer, as temperature and atmospheric pressure are important to seamen. Sometimes, the barometer would not be part of the same unit, but would be offered as a twin piece with the maritime clock, having an identical case. Maritime clocks were nearly always made of brass for better durability, and are nowadays valued as part of a "nautical look" decorating scheme.

Wall Clocks

Most of us think of wall clocks as being a modern invention, but in fact there are plenty of antique wall clocks to be found. They have been around for hundreds of years. There is a breathtaking assortment of wall clocks from all over the world. Popular because they don't take up table space and can be hung safely away from mischievous hands, these clocks can grace any home, no matter what its style.

All Types of Wall Clocks
Some wall clocks are also pendulum clocks, and some are very ornate. Cuckoo clocks are a type of wall clock. An English wall clock used to be called so for no other reason than it was made in England, but nowadays an English wall clock could be made anywhere-the name has come to refer to the style.
Usually made of wood, these clocks can also be made of brass, marble or even papier-maché. Some of the most beautiful examples of wall clocks are inlaid with mother of pearl or exotic woods. Some wall clocks are made of quite modest wood, such as pine or deal, but are painted so exquisitely that they are much sought after by interior decorators.

Mass Production
Clocks to be hung on the wall became very popular in the early twentieth century, when many of them were mass produced. They included the first electrical clocks. Nowadays wall clocks are often made of plastic made to look like a variety of different materials, and are mass produced in Japan and China for sale all over the world. Unlike their now-precious predecessors, modern wall clocks are generally a very cheap addition to the home.