In Modern Age, Grandfather Clocks Head to the Graveyard
Stock photo. (Getty Images/rai)
The era of the towering grandfather clock may be winding down. In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, John J. Miller reports that the Howard Miller Company—the Michigan-based maker that brought 6-foot pendulum clocks into American homes—plans to close its manufacturing operations this year. The company cites tariffs, housing slowdowns, and recession concerns as reasons, but Miller suggests the real culprit is a world dominated by cellphones and smartwatches, where few people need a massive piece of furniture just to tell the time. “Checking the time hardly requires a honking piece of furniture, even if its honks are pleasant chimes on the quarter hour,” he writes.
Miller traces the grandfather clock’s history—from 17th-century pendulum innovations to its peak as a status symbol in the late 20th century—and its sharp decline today. Custom clockmakers and antique dealers are seeing interest vanish, particularly among younger “Ikeans,” who favor sleek, self-assembled furniture from stores like Ikea. Open-concept homes leave fewer walls for such imposing pieces, and even the notion of being “clockwise” is becoming abstract for a generation raised on digital displays.
Still, some manufacturers and museums are working to keep the tradition alive, preserving both the craftsmanship and the stories that make these nostalgic timekeepers so enduring. More here.
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