| Posted March 2, 2011 |
Mechanical and quartz wall clocks, whether made by Howard Miller Clocks or some of the many other wall clock manufacturers out there, like Hermle Clocks, Ridgeway Clock company, Bulova Clocks, Seth Thomas or others, offer many choice of wall clock style, functionality, chime whether mechanical or quarts or perhaps simply silent, material types, and decor choices, whether the wall clock is for the home or office interior decorating environment.
Some of the key feature choices one needs to consider when purchasing a wall clock, and most likely trying to find wall clocks on sale and wall clock discounts include:
1. Importance of maker or manufacturer. One pays a premium for a wall clock made by Howard Miller or Hermle or Ridgeway Clock.
2. Type and quality of movement. The most common distinction is to choose between a mechanical movement, with or without chimes, and a quartz or battery operated wall clock movement. It is critical to note that quality levels can vary tremendously between both mechanical wall clock movements and quartz wall clock movements. One need to be sure that the movement is made by a quality wall clock movement manufacturer, and can make the difference between buying an excellent quality wall clock and a piece of, well, junk.
3. Case material – this can go either way, and should be guided by both personal preference in design and styling, but as or more important, actual knowledge of what the wall clock case or mantle clock is actually made of compared to what it simply looks like. Many plastic resin cases painted black, or having a wood tone, can be mistaken for something they are not. Do your homework before buying your wall clock! And beware of some of the truly cheaply made clocks, which in some cases may even require assembly, not to mention the fact that they will not likely survive the warranty period, if one can even still locate the company as described on the materials that come with the clocks. There are a lot of fly-by-night clock makers out there, so buyers should beware, and we recommend paying extra for a wall clock brand that you know you can trust and rely upon. Interestingly, some of the most cheaply made mantle clocks and wall clocks out there will sometimes carry a lifetime warranty. What these companies are banking on, if they are still around when there is a problem, is that one won’t want another of the same poorly made wall clocks or mantle clocks. We have seen this happen way too many times, especially for promotional wall clocks and ASI-type advertising or promotion mantel clocks.
4. Movement time accuracy. If accuracy in a wall clock is paramount, the natural choice would be atomic wall clocks, also known as radio controlled wall clocks. These clocks actually pick up the signal from the US Atomic Clock in Fort Collins, Colorado, and are accurate, theoretically at least to a billionth of a second. A big added advantage of atomic clocks, both atomic wall clocks and atomic mantel clocks and watches, is that they adjust for Daylights Savings Time themselves. This can be especially appealing to Facilities management departments and purchasing groups at hospitals, universities, large corporations, government offices and organizations generally, as a big boost to both productivity and time efficiency.
5. Additional functions and features — if bells and whistles like auto-night shutoff feature, choices of chimes, volume control, working moondial, large dials — known as Wall Gallery Clocks when over 15 inches in diameter, moving pendulum, tubular chimes, internal water fountain and other wall clocks features that you may never have even contemplated, one needs to do their homework to make sure they get the wall clock they want the first time, and not have to deal with the hassle and frustration of returning a wall clock or exchanging it for a new wall clock. Doing ones homework makes a big difference in ultimate satisfaction with your wall clock choice and selection and savings.
6. Chimes. There is the mechanical vs. quartz chime distinction, with mechanical wall clocks offering by far the best sound quality, when comparing high quality movements of each wall clock type. Mechanical wall clocks are the most expensive, but these wall clocks also have the most longevity, are the most collectible, and are also most true to being reproductions of antique wall clocks and vintage wall clocks. Quartz driven chiming wall clocks are generally less expensive almost always, when comparing comparable wall clocks, and frequently have features including no need to wind as they are battery operated, an auto night shut-off option, volume control, and perhaps a choice of chimes which includes the Ave Maria or Ode to Joy Chimes, which are popular on many of the Howard Miller Quartz Chiming Wall Clocks. The relative disadvantages of a quartz vs. mechanical wall clock include a likely shorter lifespan for the wall clock movement, sound quality on the wall clock that is not as good as a mechanical clock, as one is listening to a recording of a chime vs. an actual mechanical chiming wall clock, frequently but certainly not always a less well made case, less collectible as collectors tend to vastly prefer mechanical wall clocks.
These are all points to consider while undoubtedly also trying to get the best wall clocks discounts and to find the best wall clocks on sale.
© Clocks Blog and 1-800-4CLOCKS
Howard Miller Agatha Wall Clock
Howard Miller Grand Americana Wall Clock