Last week we picked up two clocks from repairman Erwin Dence in Chinook. He had had them for several months and I was glad when he called to say they were ready. I had missed them – not because I depend upon them to tell me the time, but because they are old friends. I have known them all my life.
I suppose it isn’t really necessary for them to be in good repair. There are plenty of other clocks in the house – digital clocks, battery-operated clocks, and mechanical clocks of every description. There are mantle clocks and carriage clocks, alarm clocks and eight-day clocks – even a grandfather’s clock (more properly called a “case clock.”) Except for the digital variety, it is seldom that they are all working at once.
The two that we had taken to Mr. Dence, however, have always seemed central to this household. Both have been here for more than 100 years, measuring the minutes and hours of several generations. Each requires winding once a week. Under our watch (so to speak) windup day is Sunday.
The older of the two is a Gilbert Cottage Clock, made between 1866 and 1871 according to the cleaning dates inside its case. It is an alarm clock, although we seldom use that feature, and it sits on my grandfather’s old roll top desk. It has a rather strident, frantic sounding chime which only sounds on the hour.
The second clock, “a Waterbury with a star movement” Mr. Dence told us, was made in 1893. It has a lovely, mellow-sounding chime and rings at the hour as well as at the half-hour. It is made of French marble, is very heavy and rather ornate. Originally it sold for $25.00 and is now valued at $350.00 – all interesting information but I wouldn’t take ten times that amount for it!
I don’t know how they came to this house originally. My grandparents moved here from their “honeymoon cottage” in East Oakland, California, in 1902. I rather suspect that the Waterbury clock came with them and perhaps had originally been in the home of my great-grandparents there. The Cottage clock, so plain and practical, looks more like something that my great-grandparents here in Oysterville might have had.
As friendly as their “tick-tocks” are, however, both clocks remain quiet about their early history. Perhaps someday I’ll run across a photograph or reference that will tell me more. And, speaking of “Tick-Tock” – that’s a nickname my mother called me from early childhood. It was definitely a term of endearment and she was the only one who ever used it. I wonder if there is some subliminal connection between that and my affection for these old clocks…
This all reminds me of when I was a child living in Ocean Park my parents had two mantle clocks that were 7 day clocks that once belonged to my grandparents. Every Sunday evening my dad would wind them up for the week. They both chimed on the hour and half hour and I used to enjoy hearing them in the middle of the night so I would know what time it was and it was a very comforting sound. We still have the ornate China clock but can’t keep it running after having it in to a clock repair a number of times. Maybe I should try Mr. Dence.
I love chiming clocks. Like Marion I like being able to hear them at night and know what time it is. For some reason my grandmother picked Thursday for clock winding and the clock made a funny thunk five minutes before the hour. I don’t think that was intended–it just happened. If we were watching an intense show and the clock went “thunk,” it could be very unstartling!