Historical Styles of the Longcase Clock

Historical Styles of the Longcase Clock

Comtoise Clocks

Comtoise clocks, also known as Morbier or Morez clocks. They are a style of longcase clock made in the French region of Franche Comte, hense the name. These clocks began production in 1680 and continued for 230 years. Astonishingly, during the years (1850-1890) over 60,000 clocks were made. These clocks feature a curving "potbellied" case and a greater use of curved lines in the overall design. Often a heavy, elongated, exceedingly ornamented pendulum bob is used in the case. Many Comtoise clocks can be found in France, but they are also frequently found in Spain, and Germany. Some are even in the USA.

Bornholm Clocks

Bornholm clocks are Danish longcase clocks in the form of a tall wooden box. They were made on Bornholm (Danish island in the Baltic Sea) from 1745 to 1900. Bornholm clock-making began in the 1740s when an English ship, which had longcase clocks in its hold, was stranded at the island. They were sent for repair. The clocks went to a turner (A turner is a worker who uses a lathe for metal and wood working.) named Paul Ottesen Arboe in Renne (a town on Bornholm) and as a result of his repair of these clocks, he learned enough about clocks to begin to make his own.

I can't even imagine the colorful history that I will be continuing to runinto with my continued reading.

Origin and Legend of the Term “Grandfather Clock”

The Origin and Legend of the Term “Grandfather Clock”

This is a very short version of the Legend of the term "Grandfather Clock." I thought I'd include it here in this post. Have a great and 'intresting' day! 

During the 19^th century, two brothers named Jenkins were managers at the George Hotel in

Piercebridge, County Durham, England. One of the brothers died and, according to the story told to Henry Clay Work, in 1875, the clock (made by James Thompson) began to lose time. Repair attempts were made by the hotel staff and local clockmakers, but failed. When the other brother died at the age of 90, the clock broke down, and was never repaired in commemoration of the brothers.

Henry Clay Work decided to write a song about the story of this clock in 1876, which he called ‘My Grandfather’s Clock’. The song became popular, and it is from this song that the current term originates.

Grandfather Clock Movement

(Christiaan Huygens was a prominent Dutch mathematician born in 1629.He was also known as an astronomer, physicist, and horologist (Horology is the art and science of time.). He was also a writer of early science fiction. His work included many areas of study, including investigations and inventions related to time keeping and the pendulum clock. He was a fascinating man.)  

     Modern longcase clocks use a more accurate variation of the anchor escapement called the dead beat escapement. The deadbeat form of the anchor escapement was initially used only in precision clocks, but due to its superior accuracy its use spread during the 1800s to most quality pendulum clocks. Most pendulum clocks made today use it.

      Most of a longcase clock's height is used to hold the long pendulum and weights. The two chains attached to the weights. The lack of winding holes in the dial or clock face show this to be a 30-hour clock.

      Traditionally, longcase clocks were made with one of two types of movements, the eight-day and one-day (30-hour) movements. Today we have 31 day and quartz movements in some longcase or grandfather clocks. Eight-day clocks are often driven by two weights, one driving the pendulum and the other the striking mechanism. Such movements usually have two keyholes on either side of the dial or clock face to wind each one.

      By contrast, 30-hour clocks often had a single weight to drive both the timekeeping and striking mechanisms. Some 30-hour clocks were made with false keyholes, for customers who wished that guests to their home would think that the household was able to afford the more expensive eight-day clock. Cable clocks are wound by inserting a special crank (called a "key") into holes in the clock's face and turning it.

      Others are chain-driven and have weights suspended by chains that wrap around gears in the clock's mechanism. To wind a chain-driven longcase clock, the end of each chain is pulled, lifting the weights. In the early 20th century, quarter-hour chime sequences were added to longcase clocks. 

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I Learned Some More About the Longcase Clock

I Learned Some More About the Longcase Clock

Prior to 1670, pendulum clock movements used an older verge escapement mechanism, which required very wide pendulum swings of about 100 degrees.

(The verge (crown wheel) escapement is the earliest known type of mechanical escapement. It is the mechanism in a mechanical clock that controls its rate by moving forward the gear train at regular intervals or 'ticks'. The origin is unknown. At the heart of every clock are oscillating instruments for recording or keeping time. The invention of the verge escapement has an important role in the history of technology. It made the invention of all mechanical clocks possible. This moved the processes of time keeping from the flow of liquid in water clocks (continuous process) to pendulum clocks (oscillatory process). Time keeping became more accurate.)

Most clocks had short pendulums to be contained within a case. Long pendulums with such wide swings were used in open clocks usually outside. The anchor mechanism reduced the pendulum's swing to around 4° to 6°. This allowed clockmakers to use longer pendulums, which had slower "beats". These needed less power to keep going. They had less friction and wear in the movement, and were more accurate.

Most longcase clocks use a seconds pendulum ("Royal" pendulum). These are about 39 inches long.

(A seconds pendulum takes 2 seconds to make the full swing. In 1670 the seconds pendulum was employed by William Clement in his improved version of the original pendulum clock by Christian Huygens. An interesting factoid is that in Britain around 1855, the British ‘yard’ was defined as a specified fraction of the length of the seconds pendulum.)

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The Start of a New Hobby: Horology

Interesting Factoids about the Longcase Clock

In the following, you will discover more facts about the “grandfather clock” and other pendulum clocks. Originally, these clocks were called longcase clocks. These clocks, also go by other names. The tall-case clock, grandfather clock or floor clock are some of these names. The longcase clock is generally a freestanding, weight-driven, pendulum clock. The pendulum is in the center of tower (waist) on these ‘tall’ clocks. These clocks can range in height from 6 to 8 feet. The original longcase clocks, and many of the higher end clocks of today, often feature elaborately carved ornamentation on the hood, or bonnet, which surrounds the dial, or clock face.

The English clockmaker William Clement is credited with the development of this clock form in 1670. Most longcase clocks are striking clocks, which means they sound the time audibly with a bell or gong.

The terms "grandfather", "grandmother", and "granddaughter" in relation to longcase clocks tends to define differences. There is a general perception that a clock smaller than 5 feet is a granddaughter; over 5 feet is a grandmother; and over 6 feet is a grandfather clock.

The introduction of the longcase clock is due to the invention of the anchor escapement mechanism around 1670.

(An escapement is the mechanism in a mechanical clock that maintains the swing of the pendulum and advances the clock's wheels with each swing. An anchor escapement is a type of escapement used in pendulum clocks. Another escapement introduced by clockmaker George Graham in 1715 is called the deadbeat escapement. This is the mechanism most often used today in pendulum clocks.)

(I’ve read that there is some controversy regarding crediting the introduction of the anchor escapement. Some references credit clockmaker William Clement, who popularized it in his invention of the longcase clock. The anchor escapement was most likely invented by a scientist in Britain, Robert Hooke.)

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