Most of you have seen a pendulum clock, which is normally huge and attractive. This type of a clock use a swinging mass called a pendulum, as its timekeeping feature. The grandfather clock pendulum is one of the commonly bought clocks. You will find it hanging on the walls in most classy homes. This type of a clock emerged approximately around the mid seventeenth century. A pendulum clock style remained the leading and accurate timekeeper until 1930s. Throughout those many years the structure of pendulum clocks was altered many times to make them more practical.

Many grandfather clocks made centuries back are mechanical pendulum clocks. They have special features that are different from the features you can find on modern pendulum clocks. These features are:

• An Indicator: the role of an indicator is recording how the escapement has rotated and thus the number of minutes or hours that have passed. It is simply an antique clock face with spinning hands.

• The Pendulum: The pendulum is described as a mass suspended using a rod.

• Wheel train: Also called a gear train, the wheel train’s role is to boost the rate of power used by the pendulum to swing.

• Escapement: It releases the wheel trains to move forward constantly at every pendulum swing. It also offers the pendulum-calculated impulses to sustain it swinging. The other types of grandfather clock pendulum you are likely to find have complex structures. They contain very complex features including:

• Calendar dials: this intricately designed feature will show you the date, day and usually the month depending on the type of your clock.

• Repeater: when a knob is pushed down, a repeater will show you the hour chimes. It is normally an element attached to the clock. Sometimes back the repeater feature could be used to tell the time at night.

• Moon phase dial: This is an intricate yet lovely feature in some pendulum clocks. It will show different moon phases painted image placed inside a spinning disk.

• The striking train: A good example of the striking train is known as the chiming clock that strikes on the quarter hours. There are still other rare features you are likely to discover on pendulum clocks. Among the technologically advanced clocks are the types that use electrically driven solenoid. These clocks are called electromechanical. The solenoid gives impulses to the pendulum via magnetic strength. In this clock the switch substitutes an escapement and its role is to detect when a pendulum is awaiting an impulse. You are likely to confuse them with the quartz pendulum clocks that make use of electronically swung pendulum.

The time keeping function in these timepieces is ensured by a quartz crystal placed in the module. These types of clocks are not considered as true grandfather clock pendulum or any other pendulum clock. If you want to buy this clock, you can try navigating many online websites that deal with timepieces. You can easily find a lovely big clock to hang on your living room walls. Many clocks are very affordable, have several modern features and are easy to control.