We Buy Clocks
We are looking to buy Clocks, any type of clock that may be of value. Whether very old or not so old, with Gold or Silver surround, or wooden Mantel Clocks that were very popular at one time, carved intricately or plain. Please contact us if you wish to sell any such items, and we will be pleased to make an assessment of their age and value. A photograph is helpful in this respect, and we can be contacted by a phone call or by email. We will also be pleased to visit you in your own home if practical.
Clocks have been in use for thousands of years, as humans felt the need to keep track of time. The earliest clocks were sundials, dating back to pre-1300, when the first mechanical clock was invented. The Sundial was in use for almost 2,000 years as a way of tracking the sun by its shadows, although somewhat inaccurate.
The Pendulum Clock was invented by Christiaan Huygens inn 1656, using weights. This was accurate and became the best way of telling time. However, these are dependant on being wound and they rely on the force of gravity to work. This type of movement can also vary according to temperatures and altitude conditions.
The Grandfather Clock was invented around 1700, and the Cuckoo Clock in 1775, followed by Electric Clocks by 1840. The Quartz Clock was the next invention in 1929, both for use as a wristwatch and a portable Clock. Quartz Clocks are reliant on quartz crystals that regulate the movement. The crystal oscillator is the important part that makes this type of Clock most accurate, operating in any climate or weather.
Different mechanisms all required a power source to work, whether battery, weights, with a regular rhythm. There are at least 5 principal types of Clock, Atomic, using microwaves, electrons and the transmission of atoms. These are used mostly for GPS satellites.
Then there were mechanical Clocks used any time of day. These make use of an oscillator that measures time. These are still used in financial markets, television, aviation, etc. Electric Clocks are of course powered by electricity. However these are only reliable if there is an uninterrupted power supply.
Clock displays have changed through the years. For instance, Analog Clocks have a face with numbers and minute hour hands. These are commonly used in offices and schools. The Digital Clock was first introduced as an Alarm Clock, and again required a power supply as opposed to battery-powered Clocks. Electronic Clocks were introduced using words to spell out the time rather than numbers. Radio Clocks are found in most homes today. There were also Musical Clocks that played a tune.
Clock makers through the ages are too numerous to mention but almost every continent and every country had its own history of Clock makers. One of the first documented Clock makers was Joseph Antram, Clock maker to King George 1st. Most would have had their names stamped or engraved. American Clock maker Seth Thomas was well known, around 1785. Edward Junghans, born 1823, followed his father working with Porcelain in a factory in the Black Forest area. In 1861 he established a Clock making factory and by 1903 he was the largest Clock maker in the world.
In Japan Hattori founded his company in 1881. He began as a seller and repairer, but went on to become a manufacturer known as Seikosha, now Seiko. Today Seiko make various different types of time pieces and items of jewellery as well as optical instruments. Swiss Clock makers included Straumann, well known in the 19th century.
If you have any unwanted Clocks, whether in working order or broken or damaged, with precious metal surrounds or settings, or wooden. Mantel Clocks, Wall Clocks, even Grandfather Clocks, we will be pleased to buy these for cash. Please contact us for more information and assistance, and one of our team of experts will gladly assist you. Please send us a photograph or any background documentation, or simply call us.
