It’s important to know how we’ve classified the clocks in this guide to effectively use the Search by Type option. That way, even if you don’t know the maker’s name, you can still find clocks similar to yours.
The 44 categories below are broad and somewhat flexible — different books and experts may call the same clock by different names. Browse the categories below to identify your clock type, then click to search all records in that category.
Jump to a category
Advertising Animated Anniversary Atmos Balloon Banjo Beehive Black Mantel Blinker Calendar Carriage China Column Crystal Regulator Cuckoo Dial Drop Dial Figural Figure Eight Garniture Gothic Grandfather Kitchen Lantern Longcase Lyre Mission Mystery Novelty Ogee Picture Pillar and Scroll Plato Portico Shelf Ship Skeleton Steeple Swinging Arm Tambour Tape Vienna Wag on the Wall WallAdvertising
417 clocksClocks used for promotional purposes, displaying advertising on the dial or case. Most commonly found as wall or shelf clocks.
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Animated
743 clocksClocks with moving figures or parts beyond the hands, including blinking eyes, swinging arms, and other animated features.
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Anniversary
201 clocksAlso called 400-day clocks, these use a slow-rotating pendulum suspended on a thin wire, often under a glass dome.
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Atmos
186 clocksSelf-winding clocks powered by small changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure. Made by Jaeger-LeCoultre.
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Balloon
46 clocksShelf clocks with a distinctive balloon or waisted shape, popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Banjo
1,700 clocksWall clocks shaped like a banjo, with a round head, tapered neck, and rectangular base. Invented by Simon Willard c.1800.
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Beehive
400 clocksShelf clocks with a rounded top resembling a beehive. A popular American style from the mid-19th century.
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Black Mantel
669 clocksShelf clocks with cases made of black slate, marble, or black-painted wood. Very popular in the Victorian era.
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Blinker
0 clocksNovelty clocks where a figure's eyes blink in time with the escapement.
No sample images available yet for this category.
Search 0 Blinker clocks →Calendar
2,281 clocksClocks with a mechanism that displays the date, day, or month in addition to the time.
Carriage
1,034 clocksSmall, portable clocks in a rectangular brass case with a handle, originally made for travel.
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China
1,282 clocksClocks with cases made of porcelain or china, often elaborately decorated with flowers or figures.
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Column
1,947 clocksShelf clocks with decorative columns on either side of the case, popular in early 19th century America.
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Crystal Regulator
1,166 clocksShelf clocks with a glass case revealing the movement, usually with a visible pendulum and platform escapement.
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Cuckoo
418 clocksWall clocks with a cuckoo that emerges on the hour, traditionally from the Black Forest region of Germany.
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Dial
895 clocksSimple wall clocks consisting of a round dial in a wood surround, also called gallery clocks.
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Drop Dial
0 clocksWall clocks with a round dial and a dropped trunk below, also called schoolhouse clocks.
No sample images available yet for this category.
Search 0 Drop Dial clocks →Figural
2,558 clocksClocks where the case incorporates a human or animal figure, with the clock face set into the composition.
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Figure Eight
158 clocksWall clocks with two circular sections, one above the other, giving an appearance like the number eight.
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Garniture
226 clocksA matching set of a clock with two flanking vases or candelabra, usually in porcelain or bronze.
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Gothic
58 clocksShelf clocks with a pointed or arched top inspired by Gothic architecture. Also called steeple or beehive clocks.
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Grandfather
46 clocksTall freestanding clocks also called longcase or tallcase clocks, typically 6-8 feet tall.
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Kitchen
794 clocksInexpensive American shelf clocks made for the kitchen, typically with an alarm, made in large quantities.
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Lantern
55 clocksEarly brass clocks with a lantern-shaped case, made in England from the 16th to 18th centuries.
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Longcase
1,280 clocksTall floor-standing clocks with the movement in an upper case and weights/pendulum in the lower trunk.
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Lyre
120 clocksClocks shaped like a lyre musical instrument, a French Empire style popular in the early 19th century.
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Mission
72 clocksClocks in the Arts & Crafts or Mission style, featuring simple oak cases with straight lines.
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Mystery
73 clocksClocks where the movement is concealed and the hands appear to move without any visible mechanism.
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Novelty
944 clocksClocks in unusual shapes or with amusing features, made primarily for decorative rather than timekeeping purposes.
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Ogee
615 clocksAmerican shelf clocks with a case featuring an S-shaped ogee molding on the door, very common c.1825-1914.
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Picture
163 clocksClocks set into a picture frame, with the clock face replacing or incorporated into the artwork.
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Pillar and Scroll
495 clocksEarly American shelf clocks with slender columns and a scrolled top, designed by Eli Terry c.1816.
Plato
23 clocksClocks that display time by flipping numbered cards rather than using traditional hands.
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Portico
268 clocksShelf clocks with a case resembling a classical portico with columns, popular in France in the 19th century.
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Shelf
10,155 clocksAny clock designed to sit on a shelf or mantelpiece. The most common category of antique clock.
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Ship
1,062 clocksClocks designed for use on ships, typically in a brass bowl-shaped case with a hinged cover.
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Skeleton
303 clocksClocks with an open framework case that reveals all parts of the movement.
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Steeple
807 clocksAmerican shelf clocks with a sharply pointed top resembling a church steeple, popular c.1840-1900.
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Swinging Arm
3 clocksFigural clocks where a pendulum in the form of a swinging figure keeps time.
Tambour
376 clocksShelf clocks with a rounded, drum-shaped case, popular in the early 20th century.
Tape
115 clocksClocks that display time on a moving tape or ribbon instead of a traditional dial.
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Vienna
1,244 clocksElegant weight-driven wall regulators made in Vienna and Germany in the 19th century.
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Wag on the Wall
126 clocksSimple wall clocks with an exposed pendulum and weights, without an enclosing case.
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Wall
6,173 clocksAny clock designed to be hung on a wall. Includes banjo, Vienna, cuckoo, dial, and many other styles.
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