Grandfather clocks are large clocks that can be up to 3 m high. They are intended for the interior of private homes. Since they stand stationary on the floor, they are also appropriately called floor-standing grandfather clocks. They work with a weight-driven movement, powered by the pull of hanging weights, as well as a pendulum as the time standard. In our shop, we currently carry over 30 grandfather clocks, most from the brands
Meister-Stück, Hermle, and AMS.
Melodies of grandfather clocks
Most longcase clocks have a striking mechanism. This is a wheelwork mechanism that operates in parallel with the timekeeping mechanism. The striking mechanism plays an audible signal at a specific time interval. Originally, this signal was used to indicate periods of time (usually an hour) when the clock was too far away or it was dark. Depending on the clock, it strikes every 5 minutes to 1 hour, at the specific time, or plays a melody. The Westminster melody is particularly famous and well known; traditionally, it strikes every quarter hour. This strike originally came from the university church in Cambridge and is taken from a composition by G.F. Handel. However, this short melody became world-famous as the hourly chime of the Big Ben clock tower at the Parliament in London.
The St. Michael chime is named after St. Michael's Church in Charleston, South Carolina. During the War of Independence and the American Civil War, the bells of this church were damaged several times, restored in London, and finally ceremonially reinstalled in 1867. Here you can listen to the different melodies.
Our Meister-Stück and AMS
We have selected two special grandfather clocks for you: the Meister-Stück No. 14 and the AMS 2011/1. The Meister-Stück grandfather clock is handcrafted from solid oak and finished with a natural lacquer. It has a cable-driven movement with 3 melodies (Westminster, St. Michael, Whittington). The quarter-hour and hourly chime can be switched off, and the melodies also have an automatic night shut-off. The AMS is a pendulum clock made of dark walnut wood. Its Westminster 4/4 striking mechanism can be switched off and also has an automatic night shut-off.
