If we have any sort of collection, I would have to say we have a clock collection. I’ve always loved clocks, even before I married my third-generation jeweler/watchmaker husband. Jewelry, I could care less about (and he’s very thankful for that!) — but give me an antique clock any day. When I was a little kid, I dreamt about owning a grandfather clock one day. I don’t know why; I just loved them. I always loved the mantel clock that my paternal grandparents had in their farmhouse, even with the shakily redrawn letters on the face (dear old Grandpa!), as well as the anniversary clock my maternal grandparents had, even though Pete tells me most anniversary clocks use inferior quality movements (his shop won’t fix them).

We came to own this majestic grandfather clock, also known as a longcase or hall clock, through my best friend from college. Her sister actually owned the clock — she and her husband bought it at an estate sale, I think somewhere in Illinois. But they soon after moved to Arizona, so they left it in a corner at her father’s house. I had only ever seen the clock case: the movement, tubes and weights were tucked away in a box somewhere, but I loved loved LOVED the thing. I told her repeatedly that if she ever wanted to get rid of it, to call me.

One day, when her father finally got sick of it sitting around, she called me! Pete and I were already married at the time, but I don’t even know if he had ever seen it before. We went over to her father’s house and loaded it up into Ludwig von Vanagon (Pete’s 1981 VW Vanagon). It barely fit. When we got it home to our previous house and set it upright, it barely cleared the ceiling.

The case is made of mahogany solids and veneers. There are some dings and scratches, and a couple of areas where the veneer has chipped, so I’m sure that affects its value, but I don’t care. It’s a 9-tube chime and plays both Westminster and Whittington melodies. The sound is incredible, but it’s so loud that we have to turn it off most of the time (especially at night).

The minute Pete saw the movement he could tell that it was a good quality clock. It was in great condition and didn’t need much in cleaning and adjustment. Unfortunately we’ve scoured the piece for a manufacturer’s signature but never found any. The closest he could tell, and in talking with others, is that it was made by The Herschede Clock Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.

We believe our clock was made in the early 1900s. Herschede didn’t start making their own clock movements until 1911, so prior to that they imported the movements — usually from Germany — which may be the reason why there are no markings on our movement. I recently found a source for a Herschede catalog from the early 1900s, so I’m hoping to find our clock there. I’ll keep you posted.

Tags: antiques, clock, cool finds, memories