Grandfather clock

Clocks of this style are commonly 1.8–2.4 metres (6–8 feet) tall with an enclosed pendulum and weights, suspended by either cables or chains, which have to be occasionally calibrated to keep the proper time.

The case often features elaborately carved ornamentation on the hood (or bonnet), which surrounds and frames the dial, or clock face.

[1] The song was composed by the American songwriter Henry Clay Work, who discovered a longcase clock in The George Hotel in Piercebridge, County Durham, England.

[2][3] The world's tallest grandfather clock is 35 feet 10 inches (10.92 m) tall and is fully operational, with chimes on each quarter hour.

[4][5] The advent of the longcase clock was due to the invention of the anchor escapement mechanism by Robert Hooke in about 1658.

They consumed less power, allowing clocks to run longer between windings, caused less friction and wear in the movement, and were more accurate.

[8][9] British clockmaker William Clement, who disputed credit for the anchor escapement with Robert Hooke, had made the first longcase clocks by 1680.

The increased accuracy made possible by the anchor motivated the addition of the minute hand to clock faces in the next few decades.

In 1680, that was the amount paid by an average working family for a year's rent, so the purchase of clocks was confined to the wealthy.

Eight-day clocks are often driven by two weights – one driving the pendulum and the other the striking mechanism, which usually consisted of a bell or chimes.

The mechanical advantage of that arrangement also doubles the running time allowed by a given weight drop.

Many Comtoise clocks were also exported to other countries in Europe and even farther, to the Ottoman Empire and as far as Thailand.

Bornholm clock-making began in the 1740s when an English ship, which had longcase clocks in its hold, was stranded.

8-day longcase clock. This example dates back to 1700 and the case to late 19th – early 20th century. The original dial of this clock was replaced by a brass dial with Tamil numerals, perhaps around the same time as the case. The original long-case was also replaced by a mandapa -shaped wooden carved case done in South Indian style. The front and the side panels are done in metal repoussé work with floral meanders. The lower part of the case depicts mythological scenes and the case was manufactured at the Madras School of Arts . This clock is on display in The Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai and was donated by Dorab Tata .
Longcase clock circa 1730 by Timothy Mason (clockmaker) of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Clock face circa 1730 Timothy Mason (clockmaker) of Gainsborough
Clock-face signature of Tim Mason
Lateral view of a longcase clock movement without striking mechanism, mid-1800s
Lateral view of a Timothy Mason longcase clock movement with striking mechanism, circa 1730
The "tick-tock" of a grandfather clock
Most of a longcase clock's height is used to hold the long pendulum and weights. The two chains attached to the weights and the lack of winding holes in the dial show this to be a 30-hour clock.
Comtoise clock
Bornholm clock made by Edvart Sonne, from Rønne, Bornholm in the late 1700s
Longcase clock from about 1750 in the District Museum in Tarnów in Poland, mounted with use of imported components marked Wiliam Jourdain London and adorned with chinoiserie motifs
Pendulum swinging on a grandfather clock in Japan