Clocks For the Home
Despite digital technology progressing rapidly, most of us still own a wall clock. These timepieces symbolize a period in history when craftsmanship was more important than technology. Wall clocks today have evolved from a very long line of crude clocks.
The sundial, the earliest clock instrument, is what most wall clocks are based upon. The sundial tells the time of the day according to the shadows that the sun’s rays cast on its marked surfaces. In its simplest form, the sundial was made up of poles or sticks set on the ground. In the past, time telling was vital for daily prayer and work schedules, which had to be strictly regulated. There have been various types of time telling/recording devices that have helped people to tell the time in the past. Such as water clocks, marked candles and of course sundials. Unlike the wall clocks that we use today, these early clocks did not use dials or hands but told the time with audible signals, like the ringing of a bell.
The first development in clock construction can be traced back to the 14th century when the first mechanical clock was created for Charles V, the King of France. It was completed in 1360 by Henry de Vick, afterwards the design spread throughout Europe relatively quickly.
Wall clocks specifically began with the origin of instruments such as the pocket watch and long case clocks. The wall clock was mainly based on the ideas of Isaac Blaisdell. His ideas were of designs for a clock for people who found the long case clock to be too big. In some of the typical and traditional wall clocks, the pendulum is allowed to swing freely outside the case.
About the same time, mantel and table clocks were increasing in popularity, and similar styles were being made to hang on the wall. They used a spring or weights and a pendulum, just as mantel and table clocks did. Wall clocks were not created to be moveable from room to room so the original square or rectangle shape was modified with more elaborate and opulent decoration. This tendency to make wall clocks more lavish became even more common after the highly ornate mantel clocks began to be created in France in the early part of the 18th century.
Wall clocks, mantel clocks and floor clocks were the varieties of clocks that were exported in the 18th century, because they were so easy to transport. A lot of people during this time did not bother with clocks, instead using the ones installed in church towers or town halls when a more precise measure of time was needed that the sun would provide. By around 1830 wooden shelf and wall clocks were being mass-produced and sold by peddlers in the small towns that had sprung up around the farmland. For those able to afford them, clocks were still handcrafted in a variety of shapes, such as banjo clocks, lyre clocks, or round clocks as well as more fancy versions of traditional shapes.
Wall clocks with brass dials were the earliest variation made for mass use. But during this period, these timepieces were very expensive. It took craftsmen several months to finish one. Only the higher classes were able to display these brass dials in their mansions and palaces.
The next major development in wall clocks was the start of the painted dials. Britain was first to revamp the traditional brass dials and introduce the modern clock dials we have today. Painted dials soon grew in popularity and were produced for the use of the masses. During this era, wall clocks started to be used not only for timekeeping but also as decorative and commemorative pieces. British capitalists started to use them to mark and celebrate various religious and cultural events and even famous sports and war victories.
One particular variety of wall clock, which is almost universally known, is the cuckoo clock. These clocks began to appear in Southern Germany, around the Black Forest during the middle of the 18th Century. The basic design and style of this type of wall clock has changed very little since then. Most often they consist of a chalet of wood, which contains the movement, with an opening door above the clock face out of which a cuckoo pops to chirp the time, along with a chime that rings the hour. They are weight driven with the weights of cast iron in the shape and colour of pinecones. A pendulum maintains the accuracy of time with the bob often in the shape of a leaf. The cuckoo clock became a staple of the clock industry in the Black Forest region of Bavaria so much so that it is often called a “Black Forest” clock, even though it was manufactured throughout Europe and America in the 20th Century. The classic ones are still made of wood in Bavaria and many antique cuckoo clocks are available. Modern cuckoo clocks, while mass produced, are also made of wood and convey a very good resemblance to the older, hand crafted clocks because of the attention to detail and quality of the manufacturers. They still remain to be one of the most recognised variations of wall clocks.
Most modern wall clocks are now mass-produced and made of cheaper materials, like plastic and metal. Technology has enabled manufacturers to assemble wall clocks quickly without sacrificing quality.
There are still, however, specially made clocks that are loyal to original craftsmanship and design. These types tend to be of high value but many people invest in them for decorative purposes. Some people argue that wall clocks are cheaper than paintings but can add the same sense of elegance and decoration to a wall.