Is a longcase clock the same as a grandfather clock?

Yes. The two words describe the same floor-standing weight-driven clock, and dealers use them interchangeably. Longcase appears in most titles, long case in a smaller share, and grandfather turns up throughout. Many titles carry two of the terms at once, so a search on either word finds broadly the same stock.

What is a grandmother clock?

A reduced-height version of the same form. The word appears in a good number of titles, often paired with miniature, dwarf or cottage size, and sometimes hedged as "grandmother or small grandfather". On Sellingantiques these belong mainly to the 1920s and 30s, with triple-weight musical movements and Westminster chime. Height and dial size are stated more often on the small ones than on full-size clocks.

Why are so many dated only as Georgian?

Because provincial clocks rarely came with a date. Just under half the listings carry a clean year; the rest are labelled by era, with Georgian, 18th Century, 19th Century and 1800s doing most of that work. Round-number years such as 1750, 1800 and 1900 are plainly approximations. Precise circa dates do exist, and Georgian is often narrowed to George III.

What does a moon dial do?

It shows the phase of the moon on a rotating disc set into the arch of the dial. Sometimes it is called a Halifax or penny moon, and rolling moon means the same thing. Moon appears in a fair number of titles, making it the commonest dial complication in the category.

How old are the oldest ones listed?

The dated field runs from 1695 to 1960, so the archive covers about 265 years of the same basic form. Sampled circa dates reach back to 1685 and 1690, and the top of the range includes a late-17th-century walnut eight-day. The latest pieces run into the 1940s and 50s, with one 1960s example.

Do these clocks carry maker names?

Often, but no name recurs across enough dealers to become a category name in its own right. The archive reads as a roll-call of individual provincial clockmakers and the towns they worked in, from Ecclefechan and Auchtermuchty to Pwllheli, Wisbech and Kirkby Stephen. London-signed clocks are a smaller group and dominate the highest-priced listings.

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Antique Grandfather Clocks

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A floor-standing, weight-driven clock in a tall wooden case, built to house a long pendulum and its weights, and for two centuries the main timekeeper in the house.