# Does anybody make non-quartz wall clocks any more? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757 "2014-08-17T15:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/1 "2014-08-17T15:23:58Z")
When I was growing up (the 1970s, mostly), the standard wall clock had an AC cord sticking out of the bottom and a second hand that moved continuously without clicking. It kept time by relying on the fact that the power company always delivered power at 60 Hz. (Yes, I live in the U.S…) In fact, my dad told me that power companies were required to send out **exactly** 86,400 x 60 cycles every 24 hours. If for some reason the frequency slipped down to (say) 59.9 Hz for an hour, they’d have to make up for it by cranking the frequency up to 60.1 Hz for an hour afterward. Now, though, it seems every wall clock I see for sale is battery-powered and uses a quartz movement, in which the second hand ticks forward once per second and doesn’t move in between. Even the **very few** plug-in wall clocks I can find just use the AC power to run the quartz movement circuitry. Does anybody still make old-fashioned plug-in clocks that **don’t** use quartz movement, and that rely on a good old-fashioned 60 Hz AC motor? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/2 "2014-08-17T15:41:31Z")
In 2011 the US ran a year long experiment to allow power companies to not maintain long term 60Hz on the power grid. The reason given to allow the power companies more flexibility in maintaining the stability of the power grid. Quick googling only shows articles talking about the start of the experiment. I haven’t seen anything saying power companies still run the grid in a way that beaks AC powered clocks. I will note that quartz crystals are super cheap and it is probably cheaper to make a quartz clock that a clock that runs off of the power grid. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/3 "2014-08-17T16:35:30Z")
No idea, we have a key wind up mechanical submarine clock in the living room. Never have to worry about the power source being the wrong phase. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/4 "2014-08-17T17:15:43Z")
Wow. I remember wind-up clocks. That’s even older old-school than AC. (I had a couple of wind-up alarm clocks, but I would always overwind them. I was afraid of them running down.) ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/5 "2014-08-17T17:53:22Z")
One of my prized possession is my grandfather’s grandfather clock. It was originally purchased in 1911 as a wedding gift for my grandparents to each other. It has weights that you have to crank up once a week. The pendulum actually ticks once a second each way. I used to watch him wind it every Sunday. Now I wind it – though I do so twice a week as I don’t like to wind the weights all the way up. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/6 "2014-08-17T18:01:28Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > Wow. I remember wind-up clocks. That’s even older old-school than AC. (I had a couple of wind-up alarm clocks, but I would always overwind them. I was afraid of them running down.) [How about clocks that run off of temperature and pressure?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmos_clock) ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/7 "2014-08-17T18:21:12Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > One of my prized possession is my grandfather’s grandfather clock. […] I used to watch him wind it every Sunday. Now I wind it So since your grandfather is no longer winding it, does that mean it’s no longer a grandfather clock? ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/8 "2014-08-17T18:35:56Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > So since your grandfather is no longer winding it, does that mean it’s no longer a grandfather clock? No it’s still a grandfather clock. It’s just not a grandfather’s clock as my son has yet to produce an heir. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/9 "2014-08-18T10:50:06Z")
All about synchronous clocks (its the fact that the timing comes from the mains that is important.) > **[Synchronous Clocks](https://lespook.wordpress.com/synchronous-clocks/)** > > Updated 14 January 2015. Production of synchronous clocks started in the 1930s with the availability of alternating current mains electricity with accurately controlled frequency, and continued unt… How to turn a battery powered Quartz clock into mains powered synchronous clock. [http://sound.westhost.com/clocks/sync.html](http://sound.westhost.com/clocks/sync.html) ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/10 "2014-08-18T17:07:04Z")
As an aside, the battery powered clocks don’t have to tick. We had one in the bathroom adjoining the bedroom and it keep me awake some nights. You can get ‘silent’ clocks which do hum a tiny bit, but are much more quiet. However they do go through batteries much quicker. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/11 "2014-08-18T17:46:20Z")
As an aside, sweep second hands aren’t exclusive to electric clocks. I have a mainspring-movement wristwatch that has a second hand with a continuous sweep. ---
**Author:** ![buddy431](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@buddy431](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddy431)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/12 "2014-08-18T22:52:28Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > As an aside, sweep second hands aren’t exclusive to electric clocks. I have a mainspring-movement wristwatch that has a second hand with a continuous sweep. How does that work? Is it really continuous? I know Rolexes, famous for their “continuous” second hand sweep are actually just beating faster than once per second (I think the newest ones are 8 beats per second?). ---
**Author:** ![PorchePine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@PorchePine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PorchePine)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/13 "2014-08-18T23:23:49Z")
> [@buddy431](#): > > How does that work? Is it really continuous? I know Rolexes, famous for their “continuous” second hand sweep are actually just beating faster than once per second (I think the newest ones are 8 beats per second?). Nothing is truly continuous. The shortest distance anything can move is a plank length. Now for the serious and non-pedantic question: How many movements per second would a second hand have to move before you considered it continuous? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/14 "2014-08-19T22:12:55Z")
Maybe 30 movements per second? Like those fancy moving pictures do at the bijou I would guess. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/15 "2014-08-20T00:18:35Z")
> [@buddy431](#): > > How does that work? Is it really continuous? I know Rolexes, famous for their “continuous” second hand sweep are actually just beating faster than once per second (I think the newest ones are 8 beats per second?). It looks continous to my naked eye, but I don’t know anything about watches. Perhaps **Si Amigo** is right. It makes enough quick, small movements to give the illusion of continuous movement, much like moving pictures. Something to do with the persistence of vision, probably. ---
**Author:** ![buddy431](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@buddy431](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddy431)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-make-non-quartz-wall-clocks-any-more/695757/16 "2014-08-20T04:41:27Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > It looks continous to my naked eye, but I don’t know anything about watches. Perhaps **Si Amigo** is right. It makes enough quick, small movements to give the illusion of continuous movement, much like moving pictures. Something to do with the persistence of vision, probably. Sure. If it’s a quartz watch it could be a very high number of beats per second, but with your mechanical watch, I bet its not higher than a Rolex’s 8.