Antique and Vintage Clocks

There was a time in the 1970s and 1980s when every family of sufficient means had a grandfather clock in their home. It was a symbol of success but today, nobody wants them.

Two years ago my daughter bought a new home in a large western Canadian city. There were a couple of pieces of furniture in the house during the process of the sale.

One item, a grandfather clock was offered for sale, my daughter consulted me and I advised her to lowball the offer. So, she bought it far below the asking price. It was clear the seller had no interest in taking it with them and they quickly agreed to the lower price.

It is a Craftline grandfather (or tall-case) clock from about the mid-1980s. I have seen a few modern grandfather clocks and to me, this was a top-of-the-line model with selectable chimes, seconds bit, beveled glass lower access door, 12-inch pendulum bob, moon phase, crank weights, beautiful solid wood (Cherry?) case with selected veneers.

The trouble is that I cannot find one darn thing about the company during an online search.

I do know that Craftline was a Canadian company that made clock cases and sourced Hermle and possibly Urgos movements, plus faces, pendulums, and weights from Germany. When they ceased production (presumably in the early 1990s) and how long the company was in business is a mystery. However, judging from the quality of this clock, they were able to compete successfully with Howard Miller, Ridgeway, and others.

However, it is a fine-looking clock that represents a time when every home had to have one.