Collective term for clocks used for promotional purposes that display advertising somewhere on the clock dial or case. The clock might also be used as part of the advertising, as when a clock is incorporated into a larger sign. Most commonly found as wall clocks or shelf clocks; more rarely as longcase or "grandfather" clocks.

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Clocks with moving parts that display the actions of a person, animal or object. An example may be seen in the clock to the right. Both feathered birds are animated; the yellow one turning from side to side as the clock ticks (attached to lever pivot), and the red one tipping up and down when the musical alarm goes off.

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A clock that needs winding approximately once per year. Clocks that could run for a year were made as early as the 17th century, but it was not until 1829 that an American inventor patented a special type of pendulum that required very little power, making small 400 day clocks feasible. Called a torsion pendulum, it consists of a thread suspending a weight which rotates horizontally in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Often placed under a glass dome, these clocks gained popularity in the 1880's when they were produced by many European factories. The term "Anniversary Clock" was copyrighted in 1904 by an American importer, who promoted the clocks as a gift to be wound on the anniversary of a birthday, wedding, or other yearly event.

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