Antique Advertising Clocks are collectible in their own right and there are many examples much sought after by clock collectors. Sometimes clocks were specially made for a manufacturer and sometimes a clock was bought en-mass in order to be transformed into the finished article. Here are a few clocks that you might find in your travels...
antique advertising clocks, c.1952 Most antique advertising clocks you will see come from the turn of the 20th century and, although they have remained popular up to this day, their importance has become less now that there are more direct ways of advertising. It never ceases to amaze me what is advertised too, from liquor to Ever-Ready safety razors.
Most antique advertising clocks tend to be either wall clocks or shelf clocks, however sometimes even longcase or grandfather clocks were used. Longcase clocks are the exception though and are quite rare when used in this way. Collectors will pay handsomely for them if in good condition.
Various parts of the clock were used to display some form of advertising, usually it was the dial but you might also find clocks where the case has been embossed with a manufacturers logo and the dial remains untouched. There were also advertising clocks that were simply fitted into something like a liquor bottle and the advertising message displayed on the bottle, while the clock dial was simply an addition which made people look at the piece.
There is a growing problem with these so-called antique advertising clocks and that is the number of fakes coming to the market. Some of these clocks are worth a considerable amount of money these days, so of course, some people try to make fakes to cash in. When buying one of these I would strongly advise getting a second opinion before you part with a lot of cash. Look out for suspect adverts, especially on eBay that claim "Rare!!!"
Another big problem is that of "restored" clocks that turn out to be anything but. If you buy one of these old antique clocks I would make very sure you know who you are buying it from.