Antique Clock Shop

The clocks for sale here are UK only.

Antique clocks bring a part of the past into our immediate present.  The workmanship of an antique clock is often so very fine that it we can truly appreciate the craftmanship of the old clockmakers many years after the clock was made. 

 

ANTIQUE CLOCKS SHOULD INFORM, FASCINATE

A bird sitting on top of a Strasbourg, Germany clock, suddenly flaps its wings, opens its beak, sticks out its tongue, and crows. Not such an uncommon feat for a bird, except for the fact that this bird is a fixture on a clock and has performed the same feat for over 220-years.

 

The bird is all that remains of the city’s first clock, and resides in the Strasbourg Museum.

Clocks that tick. Clocks that chime. Clocks that fascinate. The range in clocks is really pretty amazing. Novelty clocks are particularly desirable today for their interesting mechanisms and amusing forms.

 

Mechanical figures, like the bird were capable of all kinds of movement. They are referred to as automata, and came in all kinds of shapes like unicorns, griffins, bears, horses, parrots, lions and elephants.

 

What’s the fascination? A moving object always catches the eye more readily than a fixed one. Rolling balls were added to some clocks for that very reason. A ball circulating endlessly in the center of a clock made it more eye-catching.

 

Another novelty is astronomical clocks. As far back as the 14th century, these clocks spoke to a fascination with the night sky by displaying the sun, moon, earth, and planets, and continually recording their positions relative to each other. They were a source of wonder in the era before artificial light, which often makes the night sky difficult to see, especially in the city.

 

Skeleton clocks are another unique example. Skeleton clocks were first popularized in late-18th century France. They used a glass dome to replace the usual clock casing. This way all the working parts were in view and could be closely examined.

 

Mystery clocks are an example of a clock that appears to have no obvious connection between the movement and dial. The pendulum often seems to swing without help. You might see a female figure holding a free-swinging pendulum in her outstretched hand. The movement is actually in the base of the clock. The pendulum she’s holding is a dummy made to swing by a barely visible turning of the figure itself.

 

Wall-mounted cuckoo clocks in the shape of Swiss chalets and driven by fir-cone weights became popular in the late-19th century and are a novelty clock that remain desirable today.

Ticket clocks were the first form of digital timepiece, while industrial clocks mimic machinery.

Condition is a significant factor in clocks. Serious collectors want clocks with original parts in working order. Over-zealous restoration reduces value considerably, and the most valuable clocks in any category are those of a famous maker.

 

Overall quality of design, and manufacture is important as well as the type of clock, level of sophistication, and materials used.

For more information on unusual clocks consider Mystery, Novelty & Fantasy Clocks by Derek Roberts, published by Schiffer Books. The text includes color photos and a history for more than 300 clocks. 
 

We hope you can find an antique clock that you will love for many years.