Antique Mantle Clock

The antique mantle clock sat in my grandparents house on the mantle in the living room. It looked like it had been there forever. Maybe it had been? It was an old house and it may have been there before my grandparents bought it. As a kid I was always fascinated with it, and my grandfather apparently was quite fond of it too. I recall him winding it twice a day, everyday without fail.

The grandfather clock might miss a winding or two, but never the mantle clock. It was this clock that first began my fascination with antique clocks. They are simply such works of art and mechanical masterpieces, created without modern machinery, with fine gears and sprockets and whatever they have in them - I don't know, I'm not mechanical, they simply have always amazed me.

Apparently I'm not the only one with a fascination for mantle clocks or antique mantle clocks. Just going to my local big discount store, I found quite a selection of mantle clocks, many of which were designed to look old or antique. Obviously these weren't the real deal, but they show that interest runs deep.

There are even companies that sell antique mantle and other clocks as investments! Personally I just love them because they are beautiful, functional, and a slice of history as well.

Although I don't have my grandparents mantle clock, it's currently at my aunts, I have a few other antique clocks from the family that I absolutely adore.

So what is a mantle clock, also called a mantel clock? It is a relatively small clock traditionally placed on the mantle (the shelf) above the fireplace. That's where my grandparents kept theirs. This type of clock was first developed in France in the 1750s, and they are often highly ornate.

Some antique mantle clocks are worth incredible amounts of money. For example a Simon Willard's mantle clock in perfect condition can be worth up to $250,000! I don't know what my grandparents is worth, and don't really care. I just enjoy looking at it.