Classic Hardwood

In this three part blog series we will be looking into the history of the grandfather clock and its development, both functionally and as pieces of high class furniture.

This, the first part, looks at the grandfather clock’s invention and early progressions in the technology that made such a large item into a practical timepiece.

The time has been quantified in many ways, from sundials to atomic clocks, but never has here been a grander way of telling how late you are than by using a grandfather clock.

Their ancestry, as with all modern timepieces, dates back to the second half of the 13th century. This is when first mechanical clocks were developed. They were enormous piece of equipment, constructed from brutish iron frames and vast gears. Due to their size and cost they were usually placed in church towers and many struck the bell on the hour, but there was no visible method of actually telling the time.

An hour hand was soon added, and the clocks could also be made to sound the bell every quarter-hour.

It took until the early 1600’s before personal clocks became available. These slowly became popular with the rich, most especially those that we know of today as grandfather clocks.

The reason these clocks became available to householders was because of the development and fine tuning of the pendulum.

In part two of this three part blog post series we will be looking at the pendulum and its role in how grandfather clocks became the size and shape that they are.