The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, requiring a physical process that will proceed at a known rate and a way to gauge how long that process has run. As the seasons and the phases of the moon can be used to measure the passage of longer periods of time, shorter processes had to be used to measure off hours and minutes.

Clockmakers developed their art in various ways. Building smaller clocks was a technical challenge, as was improving accuracy and reliability. Clocks could be impressive showpieces to demonstrate skilled craftsmanship, or less expensive, mass-produced items for domestic use. The escapement in particular was an important factor affecting the clock’s accuracy, so many different mechanisms were tried.

Spring-driven clocks were developed during the 15th century, and this gave the clockmakers many new problems to solve, such as how to compensate for the changing power supplied as the spring unwound.

The first record of a minute hand on a clock is 1475, in the Almanus Manuscript of Brother Paul.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, clockmaking flourished, particularly in the metalworking towns of Nuremberg and Augsburg, and, in France, Blois. Some of the more basic table clocks have only one time-keeping hand, with the dial between the hour markers being divided into four equal parts making the clocks readable to the nearest 15 minutes. Other clocks were exhibitions of craftsmanship and skill, incorporating astronomical indicators and musical movements. The cross-beat escapement was developed in 1585 by Jobst Burgi, who also developed the remontoire. Burgi’s accurate clocks helped Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler to observe astronomical events with much greater precision than before.

The first record of a second hand on a clock is about 1560, on a clock now in the Fremersdorf collection. However, this clock could not have been accurate, and the second hand was probably for indicating that the clock was working.

Most types of clocks are built around some form of oscillator, an arrangement that goes through an endless sequence of periodic state changes, designed to provide a continuous and stable reference frequency. The periods of this oscillator are then counted and converted into the desired clock display.

* Mechanical clocks use a pendulum as their oscillator, which controls the rotation of a system of gears that drive the clock display.

* Electrical clocks use electrical current to run, rather than requiring manual winding and weights.

* Crystal clocks use an electronic quartz crystal oscillator and a frequency divider or counter. Most battery-powered crystal clocks use a 215 Hz = 32.768 kHz oscillator.

* Atomic clocks use a microwave oscillator (maser) tuned by the energy transitions of elements such as caesium, rubidium or hydrogen. These are the most precise clocks available. Atomic clocks based on caesium are used as the official definition of time today.

* Mains power clocks count the 50 or 60 hertz periods of their AC power.

* Radio clocks receive time signal broadcasts from a radio transmitter (which may be hundreds of kilometres away). The clock can decode the transmission and adjust its hands or display for perfect accuracy. The broadcast radio signals received are generated by an atomic clock. These clocks are used extensively by mariners, especially short-wave radio clocks which use simultaneous bursts of time-signals, often encoded or encrypted – not to be confused with number stations.

Now think of all the things that are done within your warehouse, supposedly to save time. How many of those things actually worked over the long haul? Can you count them on one hand? If so, then what do you do?

It all starts and ends with your warehouse supervisor. When you hire a supervisor what type of person do you look for? Usually it is a Time Keeper! Here is a parable: Imagine if someone told you they could look at the Sky, day or night, and tell you what time it is. Wouldn’t that be impressive? But what would be even more impressive is a person that could build a clock that would do the same thing, a Clock Maker!

When interviewing a person for a supervisors position we ask them about all of the things they have done. We ask their references about the things they have done. Then if we like what their past has to tell us, we tell them about all of the things our organization has done and how great our company is. Then once they are hired, we seldom provide them with any training and later we wonder why we continue to have the same problems. Basically we hire people to maintain the status quo. A person who can maintain the time! Is this what you want? A Time Keeper!

Why don’t we tell the potential employee about the problems we have within our warehouse? Why don’t we tell them what our expectations are? By doing these things does that mean the company is not as great? Of course not, we are just being honest with the same person we expect to be honest with us. By being completely honest you give
them the opportunity to give you their vision about how your warehouse should run. A Clock Maker! A person with a vision and the determination to achieve that vision is much more valuable to your organization, even at the warehouse level. Remember, your warehouse is the first department to touch the product when it arrives from the vendor and the last department to touch it before the customer sees it. Doesn’t this mean we should devote more time and energy to ensuring our customers are completely satisfied?

Think about this, What is the most expensive asset you have within your organization? Now imagine, Your Money, being controlled by a person with no vision and no desire to improve your investment. Would you let your 401k be controlled by someone without telling him or her what your expectations are? Without telling them how much of an increase you are expecting? Would you trust it to someone who could not tell you how he or she plans on improving your investment and in what time frame? Then why trust your organizations largest investment to the person with the best past and a limited future.

If we are looking for experience we must look deep and ask ourselves, how much experience does your warehouse supervisor really have? Look at their resume when you hired them, then ask, to view their latest resume. Has it changed? Look at the resume of a potential warehouse supervisor. Has it changed over the years? The types of jobs they have held are probably similar, their positions are all the same, and their achievements are the same from company to company. Remember, nothing is as futile as expecting past returns to be translated into future returns on a linear basis. Now ask yourself, Does this person have X number of years of experience or 1 year of experience repeated X number of times. A Time Keeper. Is this the best person for your organization? Or, should you hold out for a, Clock Maker?

Clock Makers are hard to come by; they are most likely already employed. However, a true Clock Maker is always looking to improve their situation as well as the situation of others. What they want is a challenge, But it will cost you! Before hiring a Clock Maker you have to decide if you are committed to the revolution. That is what they will stir up within your organization, a Revolution! It will not be a commitment to change. Change, is a Buzz word that floats across industries and is consistently used by consultants and wannabe Clock Makers. In other words, they are straddling the fence, one foot is on the change side and the other is on the, continue to operate the same side. What we must do is strive for Revolutionary improvements by taking evolutionary steps! And it must begin at the top! We must force the leaders within our organization to become Clock Makers! Especially in our warehouse! Because, they are usually the least educated people within the company. I dont mean education from a traditional standpoint; I mean what they have learned since High school or College. How many books have they read on logistics? How many seminars have they attended about warehousing and inventory control? How many associations do they belong to? Probably, none, none and none! And believe it or not we promote the lack of continuing education by not giving them the opportunity to revolutionize the warehouse. When they try to attend a seminar, we shoot them down by saying, It wont provide any value and the company wont pay for it. Yet sales personnel attend seminars; we have consultants and motivational speakers come in and speak with our sales force and look at how much we have grown by doing so. If it helped your sales force cant it help your warehouse?

Right now, you probably have someone hiring and firing warehouse personnel who has never attended a course on interviewing techniques or labor laws. You have someone controlling millions of dollars of inventory that could not tell you the last time they attended a course or read a book about inventory control. And we wonder why our inventory is so inaccurate. You have someone Non-Verbally communicating with your customers, more than anyone else in the organization, and they do not even know who your most profitable customers are. And often we justify this by saying, they are doing a good job!

The next time you take a physical inventory and you look at the numbers, the accuracy of it will tell you how good of a job they have done. The next time a sales person tells you about a customer you lost because of shipping errors, that will tell you how good of a job they have done. The next time you look at the turnover in the warehouse, that will tell you how good of a job they have done. The next time you look at the number of returns you process, that will tell you how good of a job they have done. And finally, the next time you walk through your warehouse and you see receiving that has not been completed for a few days, and personnel that do not seem busy, that will tell you how good of a job they have done. Ultimately, it will tell you if you have hired a Time Keeper or a Clock Maker!

About the Author

Rene Jones was the founder and President of Total Logistics Solutions, Inc. (www.logisticsociety.com). He is now taking on a new role as President and CEO of AHN Corporation (www.ahninc.com). He is the author of, This Place Sucks (What Your Warehouse People Think About Your Company) and Warehouse 101 (A Complete Guide to Operating Your Warehouse). Rene can be reached by phone at (818) 353-2962 or by email at rene.jones@ahninc.com

Written By: Rene’ Jones

As decorative objects, they cover a large variety of styles, from the early country examples to those with extremely sophisticated dials, movements, and cases.

When first built, these clocks were referred to as the long clock, tall-case clock, tall clock, hall clock, floor clock, or even coffin clock. The term “grandfather clock” became its most popular name after a song writer by the name of Henry Clay wrote a “Grandfather Clock” song in 1876.

A BIT OF HISTORY. . .

The very first early mechanical clocks, which didn’t have pendulums, were developed in the last half of the 13th century, probably by monks from central Europe, and were placed within the church. They did not have dials or hand and only struck bells on the hour. It was over 100 years before visible dials and hands were added. These early clocks were very large and were made of heavy iron frames and gears forged by the local blacksmiths. By the first part of the 15th century, small domestic clocks started to appear. They were probably made by the local gunsmiths or locksmiths.

After 1630, before the swinging pendulum was invented, lantern clocks were used to keep time. These clocks were originally made to hang from a sturdy hook on the wall by means of an iron hoop at the back of the clock. Being weight-driven, lantern clocks would have one or two weights hung on ropes through holes in the bottom of the clock and were held in place either by spikes protruding from the bottom of the backplate or the back feet.

Another option was to place the clocks on an oak wall bracket. These clocks were not expected to be accurate timekeepers and only marked time in units of a quarter of an hour, registered by a single hand. This weight-driven clock became popular for the home use of the very wealthy. Then came the swinging pendulum in 1656 and a more accurate clock “was born.”

The movements of this very early clock were mounted high above the floor because they required long pendulums and large cast-iron descending weights. This simple mechanical works with a face and hands was referred to as “wags on the wall.” Wooden cases were originally used to hide the unsightly weights and cast-iron pendulums as well as to protect the weights and pulleys from dust and from interfering children or animals.

These clocks gradually changed to having shorter pendulums and verge escapements (sometimes referred to as crown-wheel) housed in narrow, ebony cases. By the 1670′s, the verge escapement was discontinued in favor of the anchor escapement, a much simpler process which increased the accuracy of the clocks. Through the years, the grandfather clock became known as an excellent timekeeper.

THE GRANDFATHER CLOCK CASE

The grandfather clock case consists of the base, waist, and hood. Some original designs included feet, waist columns and door columns, hood fret work, and finials (the decorative parts at the top of the spire). In their heyday, many tall-case clocks were built over 9 feet tall. Today most range from 6 feet to 7 feet, 6 inches in height. Cases shorter than 6 feet are considered grandmother clocks.

Not only did the time piece become more efficient but the case used to house the mechanical parts of these grandfather clocks also evolved tremendously from these early wags-on-the-wall prototypes. At the beginning, most clockmakers were not skilled in wood techniques and turned to jointers for their woodworking abilities. These early jointers used the exact same jointing techniques and styles they used on furniture.

Cases were made of many kinds of woods. Although hardwoods such as maple, cherry, walnut, and mahogany were usually used, other lower-cost clocks were made of pine, which usually had a painted grain added to simulate the more desired and expensive hardwood. One might say that many cases were very elegant and beautiful while others were extremely crude. As the years passed, these cases became more and more ornate and sophisticated, especially during the Victorian age.

When tall clocks were popular, they were referred to as a “new clock”; the term referred to anything with a pendulum and a clock house, or case. In those days, most clock cases were made by local cabinetmakers while the works, either brass or wood, were made by a firm that specialized in clock works. The cabinetmaker engraved or painted his name on the dial, thereby taking claim for the completed clock.

After 1800, more and more people were buying grandfather clocks because they were made in quantity therefore more affordable. After 1840, wooden movements were abandoned, and the 30-hour brass movement became popular mainly because of its low price. Soon after, the spring-powered movement came into being and really paved the way for a variety of totally new and smaller clock cases.

Today, not only are the cases carefully crafted of fine wood, (many have added beautifully decorated finials), but they also have intricately designed pendulums, they chime the hour, and they need to be key wound only every 30 or 31 days.

Today’s grandfather clocks are awesome!

About The Author

Marcelle Snyder

Born in New Brunswick in 1942, Marcelle Snyder started her teaching career at the age of 19. In 1976, she and her two daughters moved to Ontario where she continued her teaching career at Durham College. Recently retired, Marcelle picked up her second interest, decorating, and decided to sell her favourite clocks on the internet. Always interested in learning, she researched the origin and evolution of clocks, especially the grandfather clock and pewter clocks, and wrote articles summarizing some of her findings. You can read some of these articles at http://www.AwesomeClocks.com.

m.snyder@sympatico.ca

Written By: Marcelle Snyder

UTILITARIAN CONSIDERATIONS
Counter space is important in a kitchen. It is the place where chopping, stirring, and setting out your ingredients occurs. As such you dont have room for desk or floor clocks in the kitchen, and you may want to decide early on to go with a wall clock as the piece you use for the rooms design.
Designing cuisine is an art that utilizes the fourth dimension of time. If you do not pay attention to when things occur; how long to cook an item, when to add a special ingredient; you will find it basically impossible to produce quality dishes. While most ovens have timers, a wall clock with an additional alarm would allow you to time two different things at once. You can set the wall clock to go off when the soup on the burner is ready, and leave the oven timer to determine when the roasting chicken is ready.
At the very least you will want a seconds hand on this clock. Occasionally you have to do preparations that require small amounts of time, such as when boiling an egg. For occasions such as this, the convenience of a seconds hand readily available on the wall will be a welcome perk in your kitchen.

DECORATIVE CONSIDERATIONS
The wall clock you choose should fit seamlessly into the design and color scheme that already exists in your kitchen. Work with the structures that are permanent to the room, allowing the clock to act more like an accent to these designs rather then as a center piece.
The colors of a Kitchens dcor are determined by several factors. Due to the function of the kitchen, the internal structures, such a counters, walls, and floors, will probably rely heavily on stone, wood, or ceramic, as these materials are resistant to stains and are highly durable. Large equipment such as ovens, sinks, and microwaves are generally made from metal, but can be painted almost any color.
The other major color source for the kitchens colors will come from its utensils. These can include spoons, bowls, knives, cutting boards, and the rest of the repertoire of tools that a chef may use. The colors of these items will often be basic wood or steal, although they can also come in almost any color. Even though their location is semi permanent, they act as natural decorations and have an enormouse impact on the feel of the room.
If your kitchen is designed using natural materials it should be easy to find a wall clock made in the same or complimentary materials. Stone clocks come in a wide variety of colors and can be made from almost any kind of stone, including ceramics. Steal and metal colored clocks are also widely available, and can range from simple round to artistically soldered works.
Wooden clocks can match cabinets, tables, and chairs, but you have to be careful with the kind of wood used. Certain woods will warp under extreme heat such as can be created in the kitchen. Wood is also an easy material to stain, and a pop of pasta sauce flying out of the [pot in the wrong way can destroy an otherwise elegant dcor item. For this reason getting a faux wood or plastic wall clock may be a better decision to make.
If you can manage to balance creativity with utilitarian design, you can make a truly unique statement in your kitchen using something as simple as a wall clock. Your local yellow pages should be able to direct you to some good resources if you want to go to an actual clock store, and online there are hundreds of sites with a wide variety of clocks available. For starters you may want to try http://decorative-wall-clocks.com

About the Author

Joey Lewitin is an author, artist, and designer of unique stone furnishings and home dcor. The original designs of him and others can be seen at the site http://pebblez.com

Written By: Joey Lewitin

When setting it against the wall, sometimes you’ll find that the carpet is thicker towards the wall because of grip rods. Or perhaps there’s a skirting board where the floor meets the wall and so you don’t have a level surface.

If the case leans a little in any direction, compensate for it by using pieces of wood, carpeting or other material so that it stands vertically.

You can even screw a long case clock to the wall, provided it stands upright and doesn’t lean backwards.

* When fastening the pendulum, remember that most pendulums are not uniform — they have distinct front and back sides. The front of the pendulum is usually the flat side of the bob. It’s the side that’s highly polished.

The pendulum should hang free from all sides of the case. If it touches the backboard or makes a scratching noise, it may mean that the case is leaning backwards. You’ll need to compensate for it.

* Most grandfather clocks are weight driven rather than spring driven. After you hang the weights in the clock, ensure that they stand free of the pendulum at all times. They should not touch the pendulum or any part of the casing as they fall.

* Once everything is in place and the clock is wound up, start the pendulum swinging. Listen carefully for a steady tick-tock sound. The sound should be regular and evenly spaced.

If the tick-tock is not regular, you have some adjustments to do. The case may be leaning a bit in one direction or another. Use pieces of wood or carpet pieces to make adjustments. Keep testing until you get a steady tick-tock sound.

It may take a bit of experimentation to find the right direction to lean the case in and to figure out the amount by which it should be adjusted.

* When moving the hands of grandfather clocks to set the time, don’t move them backwards more than a few minutes. And never move them backwards past the number twelve.

You can safely move the hands forward. When moving the hands past the number twelve, wait until the clock has finished striking the hour before moving on.

* Some grandfather clocks come with moon phase and / or day count discs. When you adjust these discs, wait until they are unmeshed from the clockwork mechanism. Usually, they are meshed with the clockwork between 5 pm and 7 pm or between 11 pm and 1 pm. So avoid adjusting the moon phase and day count at these times.

Your clock may work a bit differently, so experiment to find out when the discs are unmeshed from the rest of the mechanism before making adjustments.

* As your long case clock runs for several days, you may find that it is gaining or losing time. To set this right, you need to alter the length of the pendulum.

To slow down the clock, increase the length of the pendulum. Usually, you’ll find a nut at the end of the pendulum bob. When you turn the nut downwards, the bob will move downwards thus increasing the pendulum length. Move the nut upwards to make the clock go faster.

These simple tips should help you set up your grandfather clock correctly. If necessary, get help from the store you purchased the clock from. Enjoy the look of elegance and grandeur a grandfather clock adds to your home!

About the Author

Peter Strides is a connoisseur of clocks. He has written on long case clocks, the history of pendulum clocks, details on how grandfather clocks work and more.

Written By: Peter Strides

The first clocks that were produced in this region were rather primitive but are great alternatives for the sundials hourglasses that were ordinarily use during those times. Wooden toothed wheels were the first parts and the weights are normally made of stones. The pendulum was created from the wood named as Waag that runs back and forth on top of the dial to keep the cuckoo clock in time.

In due time, the inhabitants of the Black Forest became artisans in their own fields. Some specialized in wood carving, others on clock making. Still others became clock painters while some make the toothed wheels and the chains.

And from this peaceful countryside of Black Forest town of Schnwald, Germany did the cuckoo clocks originated. Later, cuckoo clocks have gain worldwide popularity due to their uniqueness. What was originally the Dutch clock was reinvented to capture a nature’s sound-the cuckoo’s call. Franz Ketterer outlined the system of a clock that imitates the whistles and billows of the cuckoos. Refinements on the original design of the cuckoo clocks had led to the familiar set of a chalet or a birdhouse.

Since 1738, the production of the cuckoo clocks is still centralized at the Black Forest area in Germany, specifically in Neustadt and Triberg. However, cuckoo clocks are often thought of having its origin from Switzerland.

This confusion may have been due to the fact that there are other versions of the cuckoo clocks from neighboring regions, which had been around for quite some time even before the making of the cuckoo clocks. One good example is the rooster clock.

A cuckoo clock typically has a pendulum built into it. Conceptualized after the striking of a gong, the cuckoo clocks are characterized by whistles and billows that are imitated after the calls of the cuckoo birds. The designs of ordinary cuckoo clocks are often conventional with birds popping up from the openings and rustic designs all over with occasional nature designs like animals and leaves. Cuckoo clocks are hanged on the walls and are frequently enclosed in wooden boxes.

As the clock strikes, the bird that is hidden within the cuckoo clock appears through the trap door and vanishes immediately after the striking is done.

The typical cuckoo clocks have birds that move everytime the clock strikes. This is done through an arm that is being lifted from behind the carving. Most cuckoo clocks are programmed to play musical tunes from a musical box before the hour strikes. This type of cuckoo clocks has other automata that creates the musical tunes. Most clocks are driven by weight, they are seldom made with spring drives.

With modernity comes the change in the cuckoo clocks. There had been created clocks that imitate the billows and whistles of the cuckoos, only electronically. Mostly of these are fake quartz that runs through battery.

With the clocks’ fame, many of them have moved their ways into the homes worldwide. Many are still fashioned after the traditional cuckoo clocks but many were created with the touch of modernity. A display of these clocks is a genuine mark of Germany.

About the Author:

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides cuckoo clock resources on www.about-cuckoo-clocks.info.

Written By: Robert Thatcher

Do you remember that song? The grandfather clock actually exists and the story it tells is a true one. In fact, it’s how the grandfather clock got its name.

The George Hotel is a 16th century coaching inn on the banks of the River Tees in Piecebridge, North Yorkshire, England.

In the late 19th century, the George Hotel was managed by the Jenkins brothers, a couple of bachelors. In the hotel lobby stood a long case clock which could always be relied on to keep good time.

Sadly, one of the brothers died suddenly and the clock began to lose time – at first just 15 minutes a day, then up to an hour a day and no clockmaker could repair it. The locals thought it no coincidence that when the other brother died at the age of ninety, the long case clock stopped, never to go again.

The hotel’s new manager left the clock exactly as it was in the lobby and in 1875 a visiting American songwriter heard the story of this amazing coincidence and came to the George Hotel to see the clock for himself. He told the story in a song and Henry Clay Work’s lyrics were published when he returned to America. Over a million copies of the song sheet, ‘My Grandfather’s Clock’ were sold.

And that’s how the grandfather clock got it’s name.

The George Hotel still stands on the banks of the River Tees in Piecebridge, North Yorkshire and offers reasonably priced accommodation. It has four poster beds, a bar and restaurant and an inglenook fireplace. It is a convenient base for exploring the North Yorkshire Moors and the Dales, as well as being a living piece of grandfather clock history.

My Grandfather’s Clock

By Henry Clay Work

Copyright unknown

My Grandfather’s clock was too large for the shelf, So it stood ninety years on the floor. It was taller by half than the old man himself, Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.

It was bought on the morn of the day he was born, It was always his treasure and pride, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

In watching its pendulum swing to and fro, Many hours he spent as a boy. And in childhood and manhood the clock seemed to know, And it shared both his sorrow and joy.

And it struck twenty-four when he entered the door, With a blooming and beautiful bride, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tick, It’s life seconds numbering, tick tock, tick, tock, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

My Grandfather said that of those he could hire, Not a servant so faithful he found. It wasted no time and it had one desire, At the end of the week to be wound.

And it stayed in its place, not a frown upon its face, And it’s hands never hung by it’s side, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Now it rang an alarm in the still of the night, An alarm that for years had been dumb. We knew that his spirit was pluming in flight, That his hour of departure had come.

Still the clock kept its time with a soft and muffled chime, As we silently stood by his side, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tock, tick, tick, It’s life seconds numbering, tick tock, tick, tock, And it stopped short, never to go again, when the old man died.

About the author:

The author is a lover of grandfather clocks and will one day inherit her great-great grandfather’s long case clock. She hopes it doesn’t stop when its current owner dies.

Written By: Rita Preece

This early clock was thought to be inspired by a Bohemian design from the late early 1600s that came to Germany from a peddler from the modern day Czech Republic. This method of selling timepieces made the cuckoo clock even more famous, as clock makers all around the Black Forest area of Germany. In the next three centuries, peddlers would travel all around Europe selling these charming timepieces, further influencing different areas of Europe with the unique sound of the cuckoo clock.

Although the first cuckoo clocks were made of wood, they are a great deal simpler in style than the intricately decorated and heavily carved creations that are usually thought of to be cuckoo clocks. Instead of just the case being made of wood, early Germany clockmakers made every piece of the clock from wood, including the gears and other working parts. This is one of the reasons why these early clocks have fallen into disrepair or are completely lost. Furthermore, many of these early clocks were painted with watercolor paints, which do not have the potential to hold their pigments over time and are easily removed by simply cleaning the clock with a damp cloth.

Although these early clocks were more primitive than their modern day counterparts, they included the famous cuckoo bird instead of more traditional chimes to mark the hour. Native to Asia, Africa, and Europe, the cuckoo bird is a unique bird that lays their eggs in the nests of other birds, which in turn rear the cuckoo’s young as surrogate parents. This bird was commonly grey in color, although the female features a vibrant tuft of red feathers atop her head.

Also like today’s clocks, the early cuckoo clocks were decorated in schemes that showed families, military motifs, or hunting scenes. In the late 1800s, the production of cuckoo clocks became industrialized and began production for customers all over Germany, Europe, and the rest of the world. Soon, the cuckoo clock became immediately synonymous with Germany life and style, making the timepiece an incredibly popular souvenir. Three of the more famous clock makers in Germany began making cuckoo clocks, namely Theodore Ketterer, Fidel Hepting, and Johann Baptist Beha.

Unlike the industrialization in other parts of the world where large, noisy, dirty factories took over the countryside, the cuckoo clock factories were generally much smaller and housed in cottages where entire families would contribute one specific part of the clock. Each individual was trained in one aspect of clock making or decorating, with one family member working on the actual clock, another working on the case carving, another on painting the decorations, and another to completely assemble the piece. Over 13,500 men, women, and children worked in making cuckoo clocks during this period of time in the Black Forest village of Triberg.

Today, the cuckoo clock has made its way all over the world. Still made in many of the same traditions, the most historic cuckoo clocks are still produced in the Black Forest region. Whether you choose to decorate your home with a clock that houses the tiny bird or want a true German souvenir to remember your trip, a cuckoo clock is the perfect addition to any home.

About the author:

Bill Carmel specializes in Cuckoo Clocks http://www.u-cuckoo-clocks.com

Written By: Bill Carmel

At the time, this new alloy was composed of 70% to 80% tin and the rest of copper, lead, antimony and occasionally bismuth. Craftsmen who worked with pewter chose to make simple, finely designed, generally unornamented pieces with designs particularly adapted to Pewter. As more and more craftsmen took up the trade, pewter items became more accessible to the “common folk” and quickly became very popular. Its use spread into taverns and cottages.

When glass and pottery was introduced, pewter was not in great demand any more. Why? Because of the lead component, the pewter tarnished readily and needed frequent polishing. If the pewter was allowed to tarnish, bringing the item back to its original shine meant having to submerge it completely into a lye solution — not an easy task!

Then along in the early 1970′s, pewter making was revived, with a major difference This new modern pewter, labelled as “Fine Pewter” is composed of at least 90% tin with the balance made up of copper, antimony, bismuth or silver — NO LEAD ALLOWED! This means that Fine Pewter items require very little care. It does not tarnish, rust, or deteriorate. What a glorious advantage for modern pewter buyers.

And that’s not all. Because pewter is an easy medium to work with, artists can create 3 dimensional items with exceptional detail, items such as clocks which are exquisite in detail and charm.

In addition, since fine pewter ranks as the fourth most precious metal in the world (following platinum, gold, and silver) and manufacturing these pewter items still involves a lot of hand craftsmanship, one would think that pewter items are only for the rich. Not so! Pewter items made of fine pewter are still within a person’s budget, — and because of the hand craftmanship involved, 3D items will vary slightly so this possibility creates a market for collectors.

Also, fine pewter can be easily engraved by a competent jeweller.

So why are fine pewter clocks getting to be the in thing?

US-made fine pewter are guaranteed 100% lead free, and is composed of 97% tin with the balance made up of copper, bismuth, and silver

Clocks made of this fine pewter require very little upkeep, (a quick wipe with a damp clock, dry and that’s it!), are safe to handle, are fairly light, and are real “eye catchers”.

Add the fact that the customer can bring his/her clock to a competent jeweler and have it engraved with an inscription — what a great memory creation!

Yes, fine pewter clocks are very collectible and affordable. A fine pewter clock can be cherished for its uniqueness, its longevity, and its lasting value. Get one! You will be happy you did!

About The Author

Marcelle Snyder

Born in New Brunswick in 1942, Marcelle Snyder started her teaching career at the age of 19. In 1976, she and her two daughters moved to Ontario where she continued her teaching career at Durham College. Recently retired, Marcelle picked up her second interest, decorating, and decided to sell her favourite clocks on the internet. Always interested in learning, she researched the origin and evolution of clocks, especially the grandfather clock and pewter clocks, and wrote articles summarizing some of her findings. You can read some of these articles at http://www.AwesomeClocks.com.

m.snyder@sympatico.ca

Written By: Marcelle Snyder

Later, an hour hand was added. Small domestic clocks made an appearance during the first few decades of the 15th century. There used to be a device called a lantern clock, which was a weight-driven time piece, which made its way to upper class homes around that time.

The major breakthrough in clock design came about in 1582 when Galileo discovered that a pendulum has a fixed period and so could be used for timekeeping. However, he did not actually build a pendulum-based clock.

That task was accomplished by Christiaan Huygens in 1656. His design was a significant improvement over the earlier mechanical clocks, because it was accurate to within three minutes or so per day.

The early pendulum clocks had short pendulums. The movements were made of cast iron and the clocks hung on the wall. Subsequently, they were encased in wood to improve their looks.

Around 1660, clocks with longer pendulums were introduced by English clockmakers. In another decade, the anchor escapement was perfected by William Clement. Robert Hook introduced the 39.1 inch pendulum. Together, these developments led to the creation of the first grandfather clocks, which often stood a majestic 7 feet tall.

They weren’t called grandfather clocks, though. The early name was long case clocks or floor clocks. The term grandfather clock became popular only during the 1880s, after Henry Work wrote a song titled ‘Grandfather’s clock’.

Meanwhile, clock movements improved in design and manufacture. Long case clocks could keep time to within a few seconds variation per week. At this stage, a minute hand was added to clocks. With elaborately carved wood casings and the use of glass to highlight the clock face and pendulum, the grandfather clock evolved into an attractive timepiece.

In the early days, it cost a lot to produce long case clocks. They adorned mansions of royals and nobles. Production costs came down with time and other well-off households could afford them too.

It was in the 1680s that long case clocks first reached America. A few years later, they began to be produced in New England, Pennsylvania, Virginia and other places. In the 19th century, American clock making centers came up with brass movements, which cut costs significantly. That ended the dominance of the English as clock makers.

Grandfather clocks with their pendulum time-keepers can’t rival the precision or reliability of modern atomic clocks. But there’s something reassuringly solid and comforting about these time pieces of another era. One can safely predict that grandfather clocks will remain fixtures in connoisseurs’ living rooms for a long time to come.

About the Author

Peter Strides is a connoisseur of clocks. He has written on grandfather clocks, the history of the pendulum clock, tips for setting up a grandfather clock and more.

Written By: Peter Strides