Antique and Vintage Clocks

I have been collecting clocks for over 8 years. In that time I have enjoyed my hobby immensely and I am constantly on the lookout for new and interesting acquisitions. It is more like a daily passion.

However, I now realize that as my collection steadily grows I have more than I need or want. I cherish some of my clocks and intend to keep them for years; my Arthur Pequegnats, selected Seth Thomas clocks, clocks made by the Hamilton Clock Co. and the Canada Clock Co., my Vienna regulators and some of my German wall clocks. I don’t mind parting with other clocks now or in the foreseeable future. Some I will miss and others I will not.

A house can only hold so many clocks

My daughter correctly pointed out that I should adopt a one clock comes in another goes out approach. “One-in, one-out”, she says and it makes perfect sense.

A house can only hold so many clocks. In my small office which is 10X12 I have a total of 15 clocks, 10 of which are running daily and the remainder in various states of repair. Outside my office, at any given time, there are 26 clocks in a number of rooms around the house. I am not one of those persons on YouTube who feel the need to cover their walls with clocks. I prefer to display them in a natural way, as an integral part of the decor of my home. The number is not all that important but I am trying to keep it manageable.

I have decided that now is the time to sell some of my clocks. My objective is not to make money but to recover the cost of the original purchase plus my labour on each clock that I sell. These are the clocks that have left my collection recently.

I am making more critical choices when adding pieces to my collection

I have also gifted eight clocks over the last 3 years and most have been mantel clocks. Antique and vintage clocks make wonderful gifts to friends and family. It is cool to see them displayed and running in their homes when I visit though I know darn well that they are wound just hours before my arrival.

On a clock forum site recently someone said’ “How many clocks do you need”. The answer, “Just one more”

As my knowledge of the clock world grows and my experience repairing and restoring them expands I am making more critical choices when adding pieces to my collection. However, those critical choices often translate into spending more money. For example, recent acquisitions have been a Seth Thomas Regulator #2 and an Arthur Pequegnat Moncton, both wall clocks.

I believe my new approach is a natural progression and perhaps I have been subconsciously heading down that path for a year or more. Unless a clock has an interesting provenance, is rare, uncommon, unique and/or is a challenge to restore I will now shy away from most of the garden variety clocks one sees on online for-sale sites and yes, I still have a few of those.

On a clock forum site recently someone said’ “How many clocks do you need”. The answer, “Just one more”.

I knew during the course of collecting antique and vintage clocks combined with increased knowledge/experience that my hobby would evolve and continuing my horological journey in a slightly different way is about time,