Clocks chime fashion notes
By Jeff Linville -- Furniture Today, July 12, 2004
High Point — Floor clocks are becoming more of a fashion statement in today's homes, thanks to new shapes, finishes and sizes.
While grandfather clocks remain a category staple, manufacturers are reaching younger consumers with these new looks.
Curio makers typically target middle-aged consumers. Collectors who need the cabinets tend to have stable lifestyles, own their own homes and have moderate to upper incomes, said Philip Miller, chairman and CEO of Howard Miller. To appeal to this market, the styling of many collector's cabinets leans toward traditional.
Floor clock consumers, on the other hand, are hungry for more fashion and diversity and more lifestyle designs, said Miller.
"That has been where the growth is," he said.
For Pulaski's Ridgeway line, accent clocks are doing well, according to Jim Kelly, executive vice president of product development and marketing. Included are clocks featuring mixed media, hand-decorated finishes and novel shaping such as a lamppost clock.
"In the different regions of the country, you have oak and cherry," said Kelly. "Then you have the hand-painted accents."
Pearlescent and metal finishes also are available to "add some color to the sea of brown" from all the stained wood furniture dominating living rooms, he said.
Even the more-traditional grandfather clocks have received a facelift. One new clock that Pulaski introduced in April features bombé shaping in the base, olive ash burl veneer and lead crystal in the lyre pendulum.
While many clocks run off the dropping of their three weight shells, Kelly said some owners don't like having to remember to reset the weights. This new bombé clock has shells and chains that are just for looks as the pendulum is swung by electricity.
Importer Briton Furniture introduced three chain-wound clocks at the High Point market, with the best performer in a contemporary matte black look with silver clockworks. The company will introduce two new models at the Tupelo market in August.
Hentschel, Canada's largest clockmaker, introduced four models this year that were quite different from its typical traditional units. Like its other clocks, these pieces feature solid cherry or oak, but with contemporary shaping such as a concave or convex curves in the crown.
All the pendulums are decorated now, and the new dials are imported from Germany, said President Daniel Kesselring. A curio clock features a crystal dial and pendulum. This case and some others now have lighting inside.
The new models retail at about $2,200, but the company also has targeted lower price points with its Forest Hill line.
The bigger clocks stand 85–90 inches tall, but some lower-profile models are 75 to 80 inches tall. One good seller for the past three years stands 60 inches high, Kesselring said.
While the Hentschel line uses solid-wood construction, Forest Hill uses hardwoods and veneers to lower costs; some models retail for less than $1,000. However, the cases still emphasize quality, he said, such as using German-made Hermle movements and intricate finishes.
Sligh Furniture also is finding success with smaller-scale models. The clocks still feature quality dials and movements, fancy inlays and hand-rubbed finishes, said Bob Engels, manager of special markets.
Sligh introduced five models at the April market. The traditional styles were well received, but the company also performed well with some that featured a more casual finish to fit with the current trend in case goods.
With about 80 clock SKUs, the Sligh line hits many different styles and price points. Promotional models start at $799 retail, with strong sales between $1,399 and $1,999. The signature Charles R. Sligh line ranges from $8,700 to $12,000, targeting a consumer who isn't as affected by the economy as middle-class families.
The Legacy line bridges the gap between the main offerings and the CRS group. The prices are in the upper range, but more affordable than the CRS clocks. The clocks still have a hand-rubbed case, beveled glass, distinctive dials, top-of-the-line movements, bronze bushings and jewels (which produce less friction in the workings, thus ensuring longer mechanical life).
At the high end of the price scale, Hentschel is pleased with the sales of its limited-edition Steinway clock.
By far the most-expensive clock in Hentschel's line at $25,000, the clock is based on the way the famed piano company manufactures its products. Because of the attention to detail and the time needed to cure the finish, only two clocks a week can be produced, Kesselring said.
The company introduced the clock last year with a limited run of 150. "We have sold well over half of those models now," he said.
