Time Travel

Bring the past into the present with antique and vintage clocks.

- Jolene Nolte

The history of clocks is a story of changing times.

Technology and the sensibilities and needs of each era are reflected in clocks. From making sea travel and navigation possible (putting the “time” in “maritime”) to waking you up each morning, clocks have both reflected and shaped the times that produced them. With such a long and varied history, clocks are available in an array of shapes and sizes—from grandfather clocks to travel alarm clocks— and prices range from $0.99 to well into the thousands. With so many choices, you’re bound to find clocks that reflect what makes you tick.

BACK IN TIME

Materials from brass to ornate walnut and ivory, and

shapes from acorn and beehive to Gothic cathedral are just the beginning of what you can find in antique clocks. From the 17th to mid-19th century, clocks for use on land were powered by pendulums. This made them bulkier and generally expensive.

Modifications like using wooden parts instead of brass brought the price down. But real innovation to the technology came in the mid-19th century with the introduction of spring-driven clocks, which used lighter, more compact balance wheels instead of pendulums.