Mantel clocks in the United States first hit prominence by way of Boston clocksmith Simon Willard, who designed and patented his Willard Shelf Clock in the early 19th Century and devoted much of his life to improving their design and operation. Willard’s weight-driven, extended-base clock designs did not become trendy at once but took hold over time; they also featured second hands, considered unusual for clocks in that time and place. Their extended bases were considered to have offered weight balance enough to keep a clock running for a full week before it required re-winding.

Today, mantel clocks are produced by several clockmakers including Seiko, Rhythm Small World, Howard Miller, Seth Thomas (whose founder worked for original American clock titan Eli Terry, and who patented the first alarm clock), Bulova, Ridgeway, and Guildhall. Many still feature traditional key winding, but today’s mantel clock also operates on a standard watch or clock battery, and many that are made to sound off the hour, half hour, and quarter hour can play numerous tones in addition to, or even instead of, the traditional Westminster chime. In addition, their cases are now made of combination’s of woods, metals, or ceramic.

Moreover, mantel clock styles are not limited to the curve-top, long-base case so often thought to be the typical or traditional piece. The casings now come in styles ranging from twin scroll to miniature grandfather clock style, miniature armoire, picture frame, miniature trellis or archway, and many more. They can be bought for as low as $99 and continue to make attractive timepieces.

Mechanical wind-up antique clocks require manual power to operate.  A weight attached to a cord or a spring provides the force required to adjust the hands of the timepiece.  This force is first set into motion by the swinging of a pendulum, as a grandfather clock, or a teethed wheel in smaller clocks.  In the application of either a pendulum or a wheel, the force oscillates back and forth to the engineered intervals.  Clocks are designed with minimal friction for the oscillation pieces, yet both pendulums and wheels will eventually slow down and require adjusting.

Electric clocks, powered by battery or outlet, do not have a complex system of tension and torque.  Instead, a simple electric burst fires for power.  There are four different types of electric clocks. The one is a type that uses electricity to power the oscillation. One uses electricity to directly move the hands on the clock face, one uses electromagnetism to drive a pendulum, and one drives the faces of the clock with an internal motor, often relying upon the specific frequency of the clock’s own power source for accuracy.  In each of these electric clocks, the clock parts themselves do not change; only the mechanism for propelling the pendulum and hands varies.

You could choose to use a wooden schoolhouse clock for your kitchen. This design also works well for a country kitchen because it is reminiscent of times gone by. Of course, you can always choose a standard round face clock, which is also available in a wide assortment of colors. If you like items that are animated you could choose from several designs that come with moving parts such as the well known moving cat eye clock. The tail and eyes of the clock move in rhythm to each other as they keep time.

You can find an assortment of kitchen clocks in the home décor department of most major department stores. If you are looking for something that has a unique design to it, you can also search for clocks online. There are a lot of one-of-a-kind items available online that you will not find in a traditional department store. There are clocks that are carved into the face of a piece of wood by special craftsmen that work in wood products. The price of a clock will vary depending on where you buy it, the features the clock comes with and the type of material the clock is made of.

Large wall clocks come in all shapes and forms to suit different tastes, now the most popular design tends to be the rather basic dark colored clock which people place in the living room or the kitchen. It blends perfectly and its a simple choice. If you are looking for something different and more unique then why not opt for one of the wonderful retro wall clocks, you can get them in many different colors from bright blue to white. Just make sure they blend in with the surrounding furniture.

Wood can be a pleasant choice for Large Wall Clocks, the beauty of wood is that it never clashes with different colors and it can blend in perfectly with any type of furniture or designs you may have around the room. You can find a great selection of wood clocks, from the hand carved rare kind to your more basic large clock that you can stand on the ground or hand on the wall depending on which way you rather to display it.  When selecting a clock for your home remember to keep it unique, this is going to be one of the first things that a person will see when entering you home so keep it simple and special, and make sure it is something that makes you smile when you see it.

Public Houses and Inns were probably the first to introduce wall clocks and featured round faces. As homes became more affluent, and able to afford these mechanical wall clocks, the clocks were adapted to the home but were not as accurate as the tavern wall clocks.

While thinking something as common today as a clock would have a social impact, especially on one’s status in society, that was the case in the 18th century. This being due to their cost which was out of reach for the majority of people.

English wall clock pendulum parts were spring driven with the early ones having a verge escapement. These were later replaced with the more accurate anchor escapements.

However, anchor escapements called for a longer pendulum then the verge and, as a result, required a larger, longer case. The dials of wall clocks are protected by glass and are normally painted wood or brass. On rare occasions you’ll find dials made of iron.

Wall clocks made in England and the United States tended to be made of wood, often imported from the West Indies, while the French rococo style wall clocks featured more metal in their construction.

Clock makers in the United States were the first to use mass production and their early clocks were the Banjo clock.

These featured the anchor escapement with a long pendulum and the drive mechanism was done with wind-up weights. They usually had dials painted white and were made of metal.

Antique Banjo clocks can hold great value, as can any antique wall clock, but there are many Banjo clock reproductions…so be careful in making any purchases.

These clocks got their name because they are shaped like a square seventeenth or eighteenth century lantern. That is, their mechanics are contained inside an upright, rectangular cuboid designed to look like a hand held candle lantern. The original lantern clocks were fitted with a iron back plate which contained a loop at the top and two spurs at the bottom that allowed the clock to be fitted to a wooden wall. However, as time went on and the clocks became more complex, it became more common to have a separate wooden shelf that could be directly mounted to the wall, and the lantern clock would be placed on it. In many later reproductions, this shelf is an integral part of the clock itself, though the appearance is of the metal clock sitting on a wooden shelf on the wall.

Generally speaking, lantern clocks are always made of metal. Originally they were made of iron, but most modern reproductions are made of either brass or steel. Similarly, they were encased with a metal back plate and metal doors on the sides that could be opened to access the clock’s mechanics. The traditional lantern clock also has frets fitted above the front plate to hide the gap between the clock and bell where the hammer hits. Although the design began fairly simply, later lantern clocks exhibited a lot of detailed metal work and fancy engraving which lent the clock a sense of decorative style. Most modern reproductions also include this fancy metalwork.

A buyer will notice that many reproductions of traditional antique lantern clocks only have one hand instead of two and this is keeping with the original style. Traditional lantern clocks only have one hand, though the face of the clock marks the hour, half hour, and quarter hour allowing for fairly precise time keeping. It is not uncommon to find reproductions with two hands, but this is a dead give away to a clock expert that the lantern clock is a reproduction and not an authentic antique.

Although there are exceptions, in general most authentic lantern clocks only strike the number of the hour. The hammer hits a bell inside the clock that strikes the number of the hour, so at eight o’clock the hammer will hit the bell eight times. There were a few antique exceptions, with a few lantern clocks that strike every quarter of an hour or included a music box to play a tune. Most modern reproductions that strive for authenticity only strike the number of the hour, though there are many less historically accurate variations, including the option to turn off the striking altogether.

Having an authentic looking replica of an antique lantern clock will give any room a feel of age and style and many replicas are reasonably prices as well. Further, if historical accuracy is not a big priority, you can easily find many modern clocks – with modern features – that are encased in shells that are obviously inspired by traditional lantern clocks. Further, since these clocks have not been popular for about two hundred years, having a lantern clock will give your room a very unique feel.

Although craftsmen in Massachusetts began building clocks in the eighteenth century, most of their creations were clones of European designs until 1802, when one of these craftsmen patented the American banjo clock. This was the first truly American clock that launched a trend in American clock innovation that continues to this day. Nineteenth century American Banjo clocks have significant value as collector’s items today, but inexpensive replicas are also available.

At the time of its introduction, the American Banjo clock was known as the Improved Timepiece, with the banjo references being added later because of the similarity between the clock and the musical instrument. The basic design is geometrical in nature. A circle at the top of the clock features the clock face, below which there is a trapezoid which serves as the clock’s throat. At the bottom of the throat is a lower box that is rectangular. Most American Banjo clocks lacked any form of striking or chiming mechanism, so only indicated the time by its face, which was unusual for the period.

Most original American Banjo clocks were made primarily of mahogany wood that was imported to New England from the West Indies and used local pine and chestnut for the secondary woods. The clock mechanism itself was mostly made of metal, steel and brass in particular. Most of the exterior surface of the clock was surrounded by glass.

One of the key features of the American Banjo wall clock was the use of ornamental glass plates, which gave the clock a distinctive appearance. These glass plates and tablets had more in common with the produce of engravers than painters and involved several different styles of geometric design including detailed line work and semicircles. These engraved designs were done on a gold leaf base and were designed to work with gently colored backgrounds that gave the finished piece a subtle and unique beauty not seen previously in clock manufacture.

Authentic hand craft American Banjo clocks are still made today and there is a robust market of older antique banjo clocks as well. The price range differs widely depending on when the clock was made, its current condition, and who manufactured it. New American Banjo wall clocks can be found for around $200, while older antique ones can cost many thousands of dollars.

The seventeenth century saw the development of the Rococo style. This extremely ornate style favored by the French aristocracy was a full room style whereby every item in the room was an integral part of the overall presentation. The style was characterized by extremely ornate furniture, small statues, and wall hangings (elaborately framed paintings, tapestries and mirrors), which was used in conjunction with wall and ceiling paintings and ornate floors.

Not surprisingly, this also meant that clocks – at the time symbols of wealth and sophistication in France – were also done in Rococo style. The result was some of the most elaborately ornate wall clocks ever designed. Further, since these were commissioned by the wealthiest of the aristocracy, few designs were ever replicated or mass produced, instead almost all eighteenth century Rococo wall clocks are one of a kind original creations with a specific history.

Many of these Rococo style clocks – better known today as Cartel clocks – were made primarily out of ormolu, or gilt bronze, although other rare and beautiful materials were also employed. Most Cartel clock had both and hour and a minute hand but not a second hand, because the requisite pendulum for a second hand was too long to be hung without disrupting the style. The face of the clock was usually fairly plain, using black Roman numerals on a white background with ornate hands.

The real ornament was primarily confined to the clock case. Most Cartel clocks had extremely curvy, flowing lines as opposed to sharp angles, and were extremely elaborate in detail. Frequently these designs integrated in small figurines, leaves, vines, coats of arms, and other extremely detailed images. Beyond the gilt bronze, many were also inlaid with colored stones and glass and enhanced with enamel or paint embellishment. The over all effect was one of extreme elegance and artistry.

Today, real eighteenth century Cartel clocks are high value collector’s items, frequently being sold for tens of thousands of dollars. However, there are also several manufacturers that produce replicas and imitations which are much more reasonably priced. Rococo style generally integrated all decoration with the room to create the desired effect, but an extremely ornate imitation Cartel clock can still add a touch of luxury to a non-Rococo room.

The famous Galileo, best known for determining that the Earth rotated around the Sun and not the other way around, was the first to invent the pendulum and began constructing one, but died before it was completed. A few years later, the Dutch natural philosopher Christian Huygens invented the first effective pendulum clock, based on Galileo’s earlier work, and patented it in 1657. This invention made clocks vastly more effective, cutting down the amount of inaccuracy from some fifteen minutes a day using a spring-driven clock down to some fifteen seconds a day using pendulum-driven ones.

The problem with pendulum clocks is that they require a lot of space so that the pendulum can swing freely. This was especially true of the original pendulum clocks in the seventeenth century whose swing was enormous, covering a one hundred degree angle. By about 1670 it had been discovered that these enormous swings in fact reduced the efficiency of the clocks so new mechanisms were invented allowing the same process to work, just with smaller pendulums swings at much smaller angles. This was more or less the beginning of the original pendulum clocks that are still used today and why these clocks were hung on the wall.

The popularity of pendulum driven clocks took off quickly. The improved accuracy allowed for the wide addition of minute hands to the clocks, which were largely meaningless using the older spring-driven clocks. Further, by 1680, the second hand was added, but in order to be accurate it required a pendulum of about a meter in length (about one yard), but since the swing was very small, this long pendulum could be encased, leading to the rise of standing grandfather clocks. By the beginning of the seventeenth century all of these new developments had taken place and having both wall clocks and free standing grandfather clocks became fashionable among the wealthy and those with a scientific inclination. Less than forty years after its invention, the pendulum clock had spawned a full blown, and successful, industry that continues to this day.

By the 1930s, when battery-driven electric clocks became the norm (although they were invented almost a century before), the pendulum clock remained the standard for home clocks of all types. Although legitimate pendulum clocks are still readily available, many inexpensive clocks today with pendulums are actually battery-driven electric ones with the pendulum added for aesthetic purposes only.

Generally decorative wall clocks come in every conceivable style, are made of every conceivable material, and can be found to match every conceivable taste. From the most basic institutional style (black numbers and hands against a white face) to the most impossibly complex artisan clocks that are more works of art in their own right than useful devices for telling the time, the range is truly amazing. So too is the price range. Cheap wall clocks can be purchased under five dollars, whereas the most expensive is the “La Machine à Ecrire le Temps” by Jaquet Droz which is more a piece of art than a practical device and sells for $342,275. A few extremely rare antique clocks formerly owned by famous historical figures can sell for even more at auction.

The mechanics of different types of clocks are also extremely diverse. What makes the core mechanics different in types of clocks is the harmonic oscillator, a physical part of the clock that oscillates or vibrates at a precise frequency. This is how the clock tells time. in mechanical clock this is either the balance wheel or a pendulum. Some electric clocks use a tuning wheel. On clocks billed as “Quartz”, it is a piece of quartz crystal inside the clock that serves this function. There are other more arcane devices that accomplish the same thing, but they are not common.

If accuracy and precision is important to you, perhaps you should check into the lines of radio guided atomic wall clocks. Coming in a series of styles, these clocks automatically set themselves and automatically change for daylight saving time adjustments. These electrical clocks have a small radio receiver that receive the current time as set by a cesium atomic clock, the most accurate clock in the world based on the microwave emissions by atoms of the metallic element cesium. The atomic clock is so precise that it only loses one second ever 1.4 million years and serves as the basis for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). You wall version receives a time update every day and automatically adjusts itself to reflect the exact proper time.