American Clocks

Americans have been building clocks for… well, as long as there have been Americans. Predominantly in the Northeast, clock making is especially popular in Connecticut and Massachussettes. American great clock makers include Seth Thomas, Westclox, and Simon Willard. In fact, an antique Willard gallery clock hangs in the West Wing of the White House. And, of course, the first alarm clock with a snooze function Made in the USA by Westclox in 1959!

If you're looking to buy an old American clock, check out your local antique store or look online on eBay. Classic collectible clocks pop up all over the country, so don't be surprised when buying online is your best bet! An antique vintage American clock makes a great gift for any collector. Teaching your child how to tell time A Children`s clock made just for them is the perfect gift! A little snippet of history.

The clocks most commonly seen in early colonial America were the tall case clocks which would later come to be known as 'grandfather clocks'. These early clocks were all handmade, and as a result were too pricey for all but the wealthiest citizens. In fact until the 1800`s the majority of Americans owned no clock at all.

This would change partly thanks to a man named Eli Terry. Mr. Terry realized he could use water power to run his clock part making machinery and this breakthrough made the process drastically more rapid and affordable. Terry has been called the father of the clock mass manufacturing industry, and one of his chief achievements was the use of standardized movement parts. This allowed him to make large batches of clock in very short times.

In the late Nineteenth century, clock factories were widespread and were providing customers with well-made, low cost clocks. By this time it was much more common for even modest homes to contain at least one clock. Pocket watch makers had also picked up on the movement towards mass production and by the dawn of the 20th Century basically any person could own at least a dollar pocket watch.

Clock styles from around the world have also captured the hearts of Americans over time and come to be a part of millions of homes. Most people are now very familiar with the fine Vienna Regulator models and hold them in esteem for their precisely accurate pendulums. And millions of children of all ages delight in the whimsical charm of the Black Forest German cuckoo clock. American companies, like the Lux Company, now make cuckoo clocks right here in the USA. And in the early 1900`s, manufacturers in Philadelphia were already making them.

Of course the alarm clock is basically ubiquitous in the homes of almost everyone, and they can be found in thousands of high tech or classic variations. Mechanical clocks, we know, were only the start of American clock making, and today quartz technology has revolutionized the capabilities of our timepieces.

Finally, absolute timekeeping accuracy is available to us for a small price with today`s amazing models of atomic clocks. The evolution of the American clock making industry has in many ways run parallel to our history as a nation and will forever be a fascinating part of our history, present, and future.