What Makes a Clock an Antique?

With shows like Antiques Road Show, American Pickers, Storage Wars, and even Pawn Stars, more and more people have started to gain an interest in finding antiques and collectibles  However, just because something appears old does not make it an antique. So how do you tell if that old mantel clock sitting in your home is actually an antique? It may actually be a little harder than you previously thought.

The general consensus is that if it is older than 100 years old then it is an antique. However, as with all rules there are some exceptions. For instance, shelf and mantle clocks from the 1920s are considered antiques. Art Deco clocks, normally from France or Switzerland made in the 1930s are another exception to the rule.

If you know what type of clock you have, the next step is to determine how old it actually is. The first step is to see if the clock has a name, trademark, or signature on it. This will start to help narrowing down the age. This could, however, still be a roadblock as many clocks have the name of the retailer on them and not the actual maker.

After making sure that the actual movement is in the correct case, you can move on to the make of the clock to determine its age. Most models have specific times when they added different parts or features. This will help you have an idea of how far back the clock could date, but it still will not give you a specific age.

The style of the clock will actually be able to tell you more about the age than any other detail as styles continue to change over time. By combining this with the featured parts, any expert will be able to tell you around the precise date of the clock.

Other parts of the clock to keep in mind are patent numbers, serial numbers, trademarks, and labels. Any of these can help to determine the age of the clock, but keep in mind they can all be misleading, too. Some clocks have serial numbers, but they are definitely in the minority. Trademarks and labels can always be faked that is why it is important to not determine the legitimacy of the clock by these alone. Patent numbers can normally be found on the parts used in making the clock, but if replacement parts were added, this can be misleading unless you determine what is original and what is not.

When determining if your clock can actually be an antique, it is important to not base the age on only one of these factors. By gaining an overall idea of each category, you will have a more approximate idea of how old your clock is and if it really is an antique.

Merritt's Antique Clock Shop is a leading distributor of fine American and European clocks. They offer a wide array of mantel, wall, and grandfather clocks in both novelty and antique pieces. Also as one of the top clock parts suppliers, hobbyists and repairmen will have no problem finding books, parts, or tools.