Which clock will fit in my new home?

As the clock ticks at home, it ticks nowhere, goes the saying. Yet these days, many people no longer have a ticking clock at home.

Where previously the thump could be heard every hour to indicate the time, people know what hour it is via the smartphone or, which has remained fashionable, via the wristwatch.

Despite today's technology, buying a clock for the home can add value over the wristwatch and smartphone. This article explains the different types of clocks, what is involved and in what style you can find them.

The cuckoo clock

If you are a lover of Germany and frequent the country from time to time, you probably know this clock: the cuckoo clock. In the Netherlands, it can be found in special shops, shops that sell all kinds of trinkets you won't immediately find in an Ikea or other (furniture) shop. Yet this model still swings in many living rooms, whether or not inhabited by a couple of the third age.

Originally, then, this clock comes from Germany, more specifically: the Black Forest (where it is still made, by the way). What explains its name is obvious to those who own this clock: through the technique of bellows and whistles, this clock imitates the sound of a cuckoo bird. A deliberate choice was made to imitate the sound of this little bird, since the cuckoo clock had to serve as an alarm clock, and the sound of a rooster is not easily reproduced through the mechanics of a clock.

Typical of this clock is its style. The carvings are always fine and detailed, depicting figures that can be found mostly in fields and forests (such as a squirrel, a sparrow, an oak leaf and so on) and both the hands and the Roman numerals are made of ivory.

The cuckoo clock is a nice souvenir from Germany, where they are mass-produced these days at the expense of its distinctive quality, and especially so when it is truly handmade and original.

The wall clock

Unlike the cuckoo clock, this clock is much more common, especially in younger households. The wall clock is always simple in construction, but despite not being made of detailed and finely carved wood, it can still have its charm. Of wall clocks, therefore, many styles can be found, something for everyone and to suit everyone's taste.

The wall clock is made of different materials, usually combining metal with wood, plastic or glass. The clock can also not make a sound due to its mechanism, and serves mainly for indicating the time (in silence), or as decoration of your home. The wall clock can therefore be fitted almost anywhere: the entrance hall, the kitchen, the living room at the top of the cupboard or even just in the bathroom.

The more beautiful the wall clock, the more likely it will hang somewhere where everyone can see and admire it - and immediately know what time it is that day.%26nbsp;

The pendulum clock

Also sometimes called the pendulum clock, is the most striking and classic of all clocks in terms of style. This clock is not from Germany, but was invented here in the Netherlands.%26nbsp;
The inventor of the pendulum clock, Christiaan Huygens, carried out experiments with the clockwork pendulum, in which a pendulum moving back and forth was supposed to regulate its regular running. A play with gravity via the wheel and the spoon allowed this clock to do its thing.

A characteristic feature of the pendulum clock - besides its unique mechanism - is its 'bombastic' style as opposed to the cuckoo clock and the wall clock. A pendulum clock can originate in many styles and be made of different materials, but what makes a pendulum clock stand out is its size.

The smallest pendulums can be hung on the wall, if the weight of the material it is made of allows it, but are usually placed on a solid case, or on the floor, which is the case of very large pendulums.

Consequently, this clock is the least common. This is due to the fact that it is usually made of expensive materials (think of porcelain and marble) and can also rarely find a good place within the decoration of your home. A simple pendulum clock can certainly look nice in the corner, but some pendulum clocks are too kitschy for most living rooms.

It is therefore the least common of all clocks.

Pendulum clocks

If you like the charm of the pendulum clock but in a slightly smaller size, a bell clock will be the ideal compromise. A bell clock works on the basis of a quartz movement, where the movement runs on a battery with a special pendulum system, and the pendulum turns back and forth. In other words, it is the same mechanism as the pendulum, but slightly smaller.

The little brother of the pendulum clock is therefore ideal for placing on a table, cabinet or mantel shelf. The clock can also come in many styles, mostly classical (and for some people also too kitschy), takes up little space and, for those who like this type, can add just that emphasis to the interior they were looking for.

Finally, bellows clocks did not steal their name, as it is a pendulum that comes in a small size, enveloped by a transparent bell jar made of plastic.

Other clocks

The above type of clocks are by no means the only ones out there. If you are a fan of the pendulum, but can still miss its style like a sore thumb, you would do well to opt for a skeleton clock. This can either be hung on the wall or put in a smaller size on a mantelpiece or cabinet.

The skeleton clock did not steal its name either: there is no casing, the mechanics behind the clock are 'naked' and the style is 'minimalist'. In other words, there is very little involved in this clock's appearance.

For its part, the most modern clock of all is the flip clock. Both the size and style leave little to the imagination, and the mechanics behind this clock are equally simple.

The flip clock is mainly to be placed on a bedside table next to the bed. Unlike other clocks, this clock indicates the date, so you not only know what time it is, but exactly what day it is.

This type of clock is ideal for those who want a clock that is simple, not too expensive and does what it is supposed to do: tell the time.