Grandfather Clocks
Grandfather clocks have been made since around 1680, but the majority of those we offer for sale are dated between 1750 and 1850. The term "grandfather" only came into use after the well-known song became popular, and they are often still called "longcase" clocks. "Grandmother" and "granddaughter" are ill-defined, but usually refer to small, often spring-driven modern clocks.
Grandfather clocks are weight driven, and strike only the hours. Although there are some enormously tall clocks, most are between 6ft3in and 8ft tall.
Three of the most important features of a grandfather clock are:
Movement
: 8-day or 30-hour. These refer to the approximate running time between windings. 8-day clocks have two weights, and are wound by a key through two holes in the dial. 30-hour clocks, which only rarely have a seconds hand, have one weight, and are wound by pulling on its endless rope or chain. 30-hour clocks were originally slightly cheaper than 8-day ones, and remain, we believe, distinctly undervalued.Dial
: Brass or Painted. Until around 1780, all grandfather clocks had engraved brass dials, almost invariably with a silvered chapter ring (the ring on which the numbers are engraved). From this date painted dials became fashionable, initially with simple but well-executed spandrel (corner) and arch decorations, but, by the 1840s, often with rather primitive paintings. Roman numerals are seen throughout, (with IIII, not IV), but Arabic numerals appeared on some dials early in the 19th century. Brass dials have always been regarded as more desirable, and this has led to many "marriages" by unscrupulous dealers. There are three common dial shapes: square, arched, and round. The top section of an arched dial may be used purely decoratively, with cast spandrels and the maker's name on a cartouche, or a painted scene, or it may contain a moving representation of the moon to indicate its phases.Case
: Oak was used throughout the period for the majority of clocks. Mahogany, both solid and as veneer, is not uncommon, and can be highly valued. Walnut, marquetry and lacquered cases are also found. Deal, which would invariably have originally been painted or "scumbled", was often used, though relatively few have survived, and it is now more often seen in a "stripped pine" finish. As a very general rule, earlier clocks were plainer and more slender in design than later clocks, which made greater use of veneers and inlay bandings.