It’s hard to believe there’s anyone who isn’t familiar with pendulum wall clocks. These elegant time pieces are everywhere, from your favourite Audrey Hepburn classic to great aunt Edith’s living room. There’s a special charm about them and many a childhood memory can be brought back by the sound of those hourly chimes. But how much do you really know about pendulum wall clocks? Did you perhaps know that they’ve been around for over four hundred years, or that they were inspired by the work of the famous scientist Galileo?
That’s right. Pendulum wall clocks as we know them began their existence in the early sixteenth century as an experiment by a German inventor, Peter Henlein. He had become frustrated that, while there were other devices available to tell time, none had a high degree of accuracy. Unfortunately neither did his first efforts. This was partially because they relied on a spring to power them and were adorned only with an hour hand.
The challenge was taken up by a Dutchman, Christian Huygens, who not only added a minute hand but also realised that having the pendulum swing at a lower angle would greatly increase the accuracy. Subsequent clockmakers would deduce that this could be achieved by lengthening the pendulum, and thus the well known Grandfather Clock was born. Centuries of innovation have resulted in three main types of pendulum wall clocks being available today.
Weight Driven Key Wound Pendulum Wall Clocks:
The pendulum in these clocks is driven by gravity. The body includes one or two weights which are pulled down over the course of approximately one week. After this time, the clock needs to be wound up again in order to set the weights back to their original position. These are thought to be one of the most accurate types of time pieces around.
Spring Driven Key Wound Pendulum Wall Clocks:
In this case the pendulum is powered not by weights but rather by two or three springs which are located inside the clock. They tend to be shorter than the weight driven variety since there is less need for internal space. Their smaller size has also resulted in an overall lowered price.
Quartz Pendulum Wall Clocks:
Welcome to the age of technology. These clocks rely on a battery operated pulsing magnetic field to drive the pendulum. They’re practically maintenance free and can be programmed to do a lot more than the key wound versions, including producing musical chimes. Who doesn’t like a little music now and then?
Pendulum wall clocks have transcended the realm of mere antiques and have become an integral part of many modern design schemes. As such even big names like Bulova have cornered a share of the market, offering a range of materials from traditional wood to gleaming steel. They may have come a long way from their humble beginnings but, whatever your thoughts on décor, adding a pendulum wall clock can take it to the next level.