How to Determine Which Wooden Clocks Are the Most Efficient

Sure you may hear about Clocks with Mickey Mouse ears in children's rooms that flash neon lights all night as well as very accurate Digital Display Clocks on Nineteen Dollar DVD Players these days, but Antique Wooden Clocks have been ingrained in our culture for centuries and that spirit won't just blow off the earth anytime soon.

When we talk about Wooden Clocks, we mostly think about clocks with Wooden Cases and normal movements inside. These clocks are relatively common and easy to find. Examples are available in modern styles and in the form of some truly valuable antiques. The dynamics of these clocks vary from one to the next, and the ultimate efficiency of the clock is judged mostly based on the type and quality of movement inside.

There are also clocks made totally of wood, with movements carefully carved out of seasoned wood. These are much more rare and hard to find, and the skill of the craftsperson who made them, plus their treatment over the years, can have a big effect on how accurate they really are. Let's take a look at both kinds of wooden clocks to find out more.

All Wooden Clocks

Clocks made entirely of wood are relatively rare, but a surprising number of them have been made. In fact, there have been clocks made out of all kinds of materials, including paper! Many of these clocks were made by what's called the Black Forest movement in Germany, and are elegantly hand carved. Despite the relative fragility of their pieces, these are still real, working clocks. If the mechanisms are still in good shape, they can even tell time now. And if you did happen to acquire one of these you'd be sitting on a small fortune.

Special tools and jigs were created by these clockmakers to make their fantastic creations. Some actually spent years building one clock. You really had to respect the talent of people who could make these. Cuckoo Clocks are the ones most usually associated with Black Forest Wooden Clocks, but there are also Organ Clocks and other types.

And when the Manufacturing Era was born in the 1800's, hundreds and eventually hundreds of thousands of different styles of clocks burst on the scene in the late 1900's. If you find an example of these clocks still intact, they can be worth a great deal, despite their relatively poor timekeeping abilities. This kind of antique is truly rare and hard to find, though there are many imitations out there.

Wooden Clocks With Metal Movements

More common, and easier to get, are wooden clocks with metal movements. These can be found online for under a few hundred dollars, such as the Longcase Grandfather Clocks. These have attractive wooden cases, often in dark woods or in woods stained to look like walnut, cherry, or other prized materials. The movements inside can be of varying quality, depending on the initial cost and the skill of the clockmaker. Both modern and antique versions of these Wooden Clocks are available, with different mechanisms.

Wound Clocks that tell time through a regulated spring are common in the Wooden Mantle Clock examples and similar small timekeepers. These are somewhat less accurate than their pendulum counterparts, but they're also much smaller and can be transported without interfering with the ability to tell time accurately. Anniversary Clocks are another popular example of this kind of wooden clock. Look into the cost and manufacturing quality of any clock if you're concerned about its accuracy or efficiency.

The other most common type of wooden clock is the Pendulum Clock. These clocks use special weights, called pendulums, to regulate their function and keep accurate time. Until the 1930s, they were the most accurate clocks in existence, though individual examples will still vary in accuracy. However, this benefit is lost if the clock is moved at all. Changes in motion will affect the swing of the pendulum and cause problems with this kind of clock. Popular examples of these clocks include Grandfather Longcase Clocks as well Grandmother Clocks and the Wooden Pendulum Wall Clocks.

Learn more about Longcase Grandfather Clocks from Brian Garvin and Jeff West today.