Yesterday I was in the kitchen very early in the morning to make coffee, and wondered if the coffee maker would shut off before Wifey could join me for breakfast. I like the shut-off feature built into the clock mechanism, as I tend to leave the pot on too long. I notice the time was eleven minutes past the hour. Turning, I see the stove clock and above it the microwave clock, one at eighteen, the other with seven past the hour. In late spring all three of these clocks were reset to the same time after a storm that left me powerless for several minutes. So much for accuracy in the digital age.

But I started thinking about all the clocks and watches in my possession, and I wondered how many were around the house and whether any could be considered the correct time. I don’t normally think of my time pieces as a collection, altho I’m keenly aware of the collect-ability of anything old that keeps time. Another quick look around to confirm that no other time machines lurked in the kitchen and I decided to explore the other areas that held clocks, watches or any thing that displayed time. I don’t have a clock in the living room. Now that’s something I should rectify. It’s no wonder guests don’t know when to leave.

Next I check the Deco room and here I spot this old 1930s thick round glass electric clock. It still tells time but wifey keeps it unplugged out of fear of an electrical short in the old cord, only plugging it in when we are entertaining friends with drinks served from our Deco style bar.

I already know the next clock, it’s new and sits on the sink counter in our main bath. Wifey sets it ahead to hustle me out of the shower when we have a set time to be some place. The guest room yields nothing. I should remedy that if I can find a clock with suitable age to match the décor.

The sun room has another newer clock, selected for its nautical look, it has a quartz movement and runs the battery down quickly. It actually has to be disassembled to change time or battery.

I consider going into the garage, but I know the only device I’ll find there is attached to the dash in the cars. Wifey has moved the time back on her car, so friends we pick up on the way to a restaurant, movie or play will see the time and think we’re “On Time.”

I move upstairs to the studio. Here the shelf clock is older, and I would consider it collectable. Still working is this Westclox analog electric clock. Nothing fancy but it does keep good time in its old Bakelite case. Also in the studio is the DVD with its ever-on digital time. Not quite bright enough to be a night light but always staring at me in the dark like a green eyed owl. Our bedroom has the usual clock radio, this one resets itself to an easy listening station whenever I set the alarm, and I fall back to sleep when I should be getting up. In my dresser are the wrist watches, the “good watch” and some older ones for work or play. Wifey has her own collection of these time pieces, but I’m not about to explore her dresser, for fear that I couldn’t possibly get everything stuffed back.

The office has an ever-ticking quartz job that jumps from one second mark to the next. Purchased at a yard sale for two dollars, it too keeps time until the battery starts to fade. And who can forget the clocks on the computers. Time, day and date and self adjusting for spring forward – fall back. It’s the last word on correct time in this house without having to dial the phone (I think it was TI-4-1212 on the rotary dial). And speaking of phones my new desk job-a-do has the time displayed on a little screen that also lets me know who I don’t want to talk to.

In our basement, I have a McDonald’s clock, purchased from a purveyor at a giant yard sale at their warehouse. It eats batteries, as if they were fast food, so it’s often giving the right time only twice a day.

Our mantel clock is stored downstairs  for now, wifey brings it up when she changes the décor from time to time. I received this one from my Father, who had quite a collection in the past.

Now I saved the best for last. Wifey purchased this antique large case wall clock with pendulum and three weights. It came from an antique store and is mounted in our dining room and admired by all our dinner guests. It’s called a blind man’s clock because it chimes every fifteen minutes, striking first the hour and then one bong for each quarter of the hour. In a beautiful wood case. When I remember to wind, it keeps very good time.

WOW!! I count twenty without getting into Wifey’s drawers or mentioning my laptop or the one on the programable thermostat. I guess I do have a collection of time.

So I encourage you to look around your castle, to see if the addition of a collectable clock could add some extra pizzazz to your living space. I have found reasonable prices on some very neat old clocks at antique fairs and shops, and some super buys at yards sales and flea markets. For more info on collecting time, check out some of the price guides on the subject at your favorite book seller.

Happy Hunting and share your finds with us, here at Collectors’ Quest.

---

================

Gotta Collect? Then You Gotta Connect - Join our Collectors’ Community!

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 4:05 am and is filed under collecting fyi, decorating, flea market finds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.