In the “old days” — way before phones, watches and battery clocks were available to tell time — having a timepiece in your home was a status symbol. Purchasing a tall case clock was a luxury few could afford. It was not a priority when compared to feeding the family, heating the house and paying the bills.
But when a family graduated from survival mode to a “comfortable” lifestyle, their windfall could be communicated nicely with the purchase of a handsome timepiece. Once the decision was made to purchase a clock, it had to be commissioned and then custom-made — which could take up to two years to complete.
Interestingly, the well-to-do didn’t announce their success by inviting friends over to see the clock. It was preferred that their friends — and anyone else who passed by the house — hear the clock as it would strike the hour. Ever wonder why those old tall case clocks have such a loud strike? Now you know. Having that kind of clock — and that sound with it — showed you were someone to be reckoned with, and also helped others to know what time it was.
Knowing this, if your heirloom timepiece has been silent for too long, you might want to get it running again. You never know when the Joneses might be walking by.