Guide to buying a Grandfather Clock

Clocks come in all shapes and sizes, but there's no doubt that there's a timeless appeal to owning a grandfather clock. They are much more than a piece of decorative furniture that also tells the time. People buy grandfather clocks because of their roots and heritage, because of what they represent, a very strong tie with the past.

A Brief History of the Grandfather Clock

The birth of grandfather clock (or longcase clock to give them their proper name) dates back to the 17th century when Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch mathematician and philosopher, invented the pendulum clock in 1656, but it was William Clement, an English clockmaker, who, 24 years later, is credited with the development of the grandfather clock using Huygens' pendulum.

Buying advice for your Grandfather Clock

Essentially, when buying a grandfather clock you have two overriding options: to buy an antique or to buy new.

Our Customer Experience

After a recent visit to the BilliB showroom, I discovered that they have had customers travelling from as far as Scotland and the Channel Islands to view, what can only be described as the largest collection of floor/wall/mantel clocks in the UK.

Consumers find it difficult to actually see a good selection of clocks in one setting, I'm sure like most people I found it refreshing that they do not have sales people either, they don't actually sell to the public! They just operate a showroom on behalf of retailers where you can see, hear and feel the quality and ask all those difficult questions before returning to the chosen retailer to finalise the purchase.

It certainly is a once in a lifetime purchase where statistically 80% of floor clocks are sold to men who will have searched for an average for three years, possibly moved house or re decorated / moved a radiator and have a specific place in mind for their clock.