Grandfather clocks often represent a feeling of awe we once had as children for a significant adult in our lives that we respected, who nurtured us, and who usually had great stories dripping from their tongues every time we visited. What child didn’t stop and gaze at the grandfather clock at their grandparents’ home, or the home of that eccentric uncle who knew everything about everything and had traveled to distant lands. In our society today, buying a grandfather clock has become quite a bit less expensive and easier but still evokes that feeling of wonder we had when we were children.
Grandfather clocks generally come in two classes. You can spend anywhere between $400 to upwards of $10,000, depending on the clock you choose, its age, where it was made, and what type of craftsmanship went into its production. There are mass produced grandfather clocks that run significantly cheaper than their original design counter parts. It takes a very skilled eye to find the differences in these less expensive clocks.
Grandfather clocks are as unique as people. There are a multitude of varieties and styles, and of course there are continually evolving variations of the basic styles to create new styles. For the most part, grandfather clocks come in either the traditional style that most of us remember from our youth, a contemporary style that brings the 21st century into full unification with tradition, or an even blend of both styles known as the transitional style. These three styles have their benefits and drawbacks, depending on the home in which they are going to reside.
Buying a grandfather clock that is a certified antique is not just expensive and thrilling, it is also slightly less reliable when in comes to keeping time. However, few people buy this type of clock to make sure they make their 10 a.m. meeting.
Companies have become rather creative when it comes to getting a new—or new to you—grandfather clock into your home. For the most part, cautious shipping has become the norm. There are a few regional or local companies who will actually send a technician to your home to install the guts of the clock, preventing potential damage that can happen when the delivery truck driver takes the train track bump at 70 miles per hour. Some companies will ship your shell with all the trimmings intact while sending the guts of the clock separately. Talk about some assembly required. While their directions for completion are usually very explicit, this is not an adventure for those who needed to call technical support when they installed their internet connection. If your new clock comes to you whole and complete, ask the company to either send or to recommend a technician that can go over the inner workings of your clock upon arrival and make sure that the chimes will chime and the time will keep.
When you’re buying a grandfather clock it’s not so complicated to look at the clock, decide whether you like it, if it’s cool, if it fits with your home or the style of the room you’re intending it to live, or whether you need to just keep looking. Once you find the style you decide works beset for you, then you get to move on to the most exciting part of the task; picking the chimes.
The chimes may already be assigned to the clock, or you may have the option of deciding which chimes you want to hear. What few people tend to realize is that the chimes of every grandfather clock have a meaning, chime a prayer, or chime a song. These things are not random.
The Westminster Chimes have historically been the most popular. Considering that these are the chimes of the famous Big Ben and readily duplicated throughout the majority of grandfather clocks. They are probably the chimes we heard when we were kids when our first grandfather clock appeared in our lives. Big Ben actually borrowed the chimes from St. Mary’s the Great, also known as University Church, out of Cambridge, England. They chime a prayer. The Prayer; “Lord, through this hour, Be thou our guide, So, by Thy power, No foot shall slide,” is to help people remember that hour by hour, there is guidance and Divine love within no matter what the hour may bring.
When deciding on either chimes to be installed or buying a grandfather clock with assigned chimes, find out what they mean, where they came from, and why they are important. Doing so will not only enhance the clock’s personal value, but since most grandfather clocks eventually turn into family heirlooms, this knowledge makes the clock more valuable to those who get to share in its treasure.
Grandfather clocks will never go out of style. Styles may change and people may find that one day grandfather clocks from the early 20th century are nearly impossible to find, but there will always be something magical and wondrous about a grandfather clock.