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Antique Wall Clocks
All English wall clocks were spring driven and the early ones had a verge escapement, later replaced by the more accurate anchor escapement in the late 1700s. The anchor escapement required the use of a longer pendulum than was used with the verge and so wall clock cases were extended. Most of the dials you will find are painted wood or silvered brass and will always be protected by a glass cover. You may also come across iron dials but these were not as common on household clocks. In the Black Forest area of Germany production of a completely different and unique wall clock was established around the early 1700s, although it's origins are from much earlier - The Cuckoo Clock provides us with a fascinatingly different clock that many people collect. Some of these clocks are worth big bucks too, so are worth looking out for.
American wall clocks are characterized by their anchor escapement, long pendulum and wind-up weight drive mechanism. Dials made of metal and painted white are most common. The Banjo clock is the one to buy, if you have one of these at home look after it, it could be worth a bit! Other types of Antique Wall Clocks deserving their own page:
- Cuckoo Clocks
Happy Collecting!
Below is a list of current US & UK eBay auctions of Antique Wall Clocks.
* all articles on auction courtesy of eBay ** links open a new window at eBay with product details. US Auctions Top
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The main difference between the later wall and tavern clocks was that later clocks were not as accurate, were much cheaper and were specifically designed for use in the ever increasingly affluent homes throughout England. Today it is hard for us to imagine something as simple as a clock having an impact on social standing, but a clock in the home did just that two hundred years ago. 
In the United States the wall clock was first made around the end of the 1700s, and from small beginnings the US soon began to produce large numbers of clocks. The one thing the Americans were very good at was mass-production and by the mid 1800s the Swiss were wondering just how the American clock and watch making industry could churn out so many timepieces. The answer was that the Americans had mastered the art of mass producing small machine made parts, unlike the Swiss who were still making parts by hand. 
