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Wall Clocks for Form and Function
The accuracy of the wall clock has kept them in homes for hundreds of years. Wall clocks were pendulum driven clocks that began in the 1600’s. The lantern clocks that had been the standard were replaced by the more accurate wall clock. As people became accustomed to the pendulum swinging on their walls, they came to know them as the wags-on-the-wall. The pendulums of these clocks were so long that the clocks had to be placed very high to accommodate them. The grandfather clock was born when the pendulum clocks became so large that they were housed in cases that could sit on the floor.
The wealthy had owned clocks for some time, but soon the other classes were able to buy them for themselves. The sundial and a glance at the heavens were suddenly replaced by the accuracy of the wall clock. The clock was made even more accurate as it evolved over the centuries, going from wooden to brass parts. Wall clocks with brass parts were beautiful, but expensive, and many could not afford to buy them until inexpensive materials were phased into the mechanisms.
Blacksmiths were the ones to craft the early wall clocks, working the metal into the mechanisms and face needed for the pendulum clocks. The art of clock making then fell to specialized craftsmen who turned the form and function of the wall clock into art. Clockmakers, such as Seth Thomas, designed new versions of the wall clock. These clocks were much smaller than the pendulum clock, and they looked like wall art. Seth Thomas continues to make stylized wall clocks that are well crafted and precise. There are many shapes of wall clocks now, though many people choose the classic round shape.
The pendulum look is also available, as a classic reminder of the past. The wall clock today is not used only for the time telling capabilities. We have clocks on our dashboards, on appliances, and on our desks. A wall clock may not be necessary anymore, but it is a part of the home that has endured for centuries. The wall clock has endured as a classic part of the home, adding some traditional style to the décor. The wall clocks used today are sometimes made out of cheap materials like plastic, but Seth Thomas and other fine clockmakers still strive to make the best wall clocks possible out of quality materials.
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