Grandfather clocks: how to set, wind, start and adjust one

To set a grandfather clock, move only the minute hand, clockwise, pausing at each quarter hour to let it chime. Wind it once a week by raising the weights (crank key or pull chains) without letting them hit the top. To speed it up, turn the nut under the pendulum bob to the right (raising the bob); to slow it down, turn it left. One full turn changes the rate by roughly half a minute a day on many clocks.

Weights (facing the clock)	Left: hour strike · Center: time · Right: chimes (heaviest)
Winding	Once a week (8-day movement)
Speed up	Turn the pendulum nut right (bob up)
Slow down	Turn the pendulum nut left (bob down)
Typical height	About 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m)
Name from	The 1876 song "My Grandfather's Clock"

How to set the time on a grandfather clock

Open the hood or front door so you can reach the hands.
Move only the minute hand (the long one), by its tip or center, clockwise.
Pause at each quarter hour (15, 30, 45 and 00) and let the clock finish chiming before you move on. This keeps the chimes in step with the hands.
If the hour hand points to the wrong hour after the chime, gently move only the hour hand to the correct hour; it is friction-fitted.
Check against an exact clock, such as our atomic clock.

Many modern movements (for example Howard Miller) let you move the minute hand counter-clockwise too, but going forward and pausing at each quarter is the safe method for any clock. Never move the hands while the clock is chiming. For daylight saving time in the fall, it is often easiest to stop the pendulum for one hour and restart it.

How to wind a grandfather clock

Cable-driven clocks have three winding holes in the dial. Insert the crank key and turn until each weight is near the top, but stop before it touches the movement, or about an inch below the top. Support the weight shell lightly with your other hand if it wobbles. Chain-driven clocks are wound by gently pulling down the free end of each chain, which raises the weight. Most grandfather clocks have an 8-day movement: wind them once a week, on the same day, even if they haven't stopped. Older 30-hour clocks need winding every day.

How to hang the weights

Most chiming grandfather clocks have three weights. Facing the clock:

Left: powers the hour strike.
Center: powers the timekeeping (the pendulum).
Right: powers the quarter-hour chimes, and is usually the heaviest.

Weights are often marked L, C and R on the bottom. If they are not, weigh them: put the heaviest on the right. Hang them on the hooks of the pulleys with the cables or chains seated properly in their grooves.

How to start a grandfather clock

Make sure the clock stands level and steady; leveling feet are under the base. A clock that leans won't keep its "tick-tock" even.
Hang the pendulum on its leader, then the weights.
Move the pendulum to one side and let it go. Don't push it hard.
Listen: the tick and the tock should be evenly spaced. If they sound like "tick...tock, tick...tock" unevenly, the clock is "out of beat" and may stop. Adjust the leveling feet slightly, or on many modern movements swing the pendulum hard to one side to let it self-adjust its beat.

How to speed up or slow down a grandfather clock

The rate is controlled by the length of the pendulum. Under the round bob is a rating nut:

Clock running slow? Turn the nut to the right. The bob rises, the pendulum gets shorter, and the clock speeds up.
Clock running fast? Turn the nut to the left. The bob lowers, the pendulum gets longer, and the clock slows down.

Check the clock at the same time each day against an exact clock. A common guide is one full turn of the nut for each half-minute fast or slow per day; never turn it more than one full turn in a day, and make smaller corrections each day as you get close. It may take a week or two to get it within a minute a week. A grandfather clock uses a seconds pendulum, about 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) long, that swings once every second.

Chimes and the night shut-off

Most chiming clocks have a lever or knob on the dial to choose a melody (often Westminster, Whittington or St. Michael's) or "silent". Many also have an automatic night shut-off. If the chimes play at the wrong quarter (for example the full hour tune at a quarter past), move the minute hand forward through the quarters, pausing at each, until it plays the full hour tune; then reset the minute hand to the 12 by moving only the minute hand. Hear the Westminster quarters on our sounds page.

Grandfather clock troubleshooting

Stops after a few minutes: usually out of beat or not level. See "How to start" above.
Pendulum hits the weights: weights hung in the wrong positions, or the clock is tilted.
One weight drops faster: normal; the chime weight works hardest.
Runs but won't chime: check the silent lever and the night shut-off, and that the right weight is wound.
Needs a service: movements need cleaning and oiling every 5 to 10 years. A clock that has been moved needs the pendulum removed and weights taken off first.

Grandfather vs grandmother vs granddaughter clocks

They are the same kind of clock in different sizes. A grandfather clock (or longcase clock) is usually about 6 to 8 feet tall. A grandmother clock is a slimmer, shorter version, typically under about 6 feet 3 inches, and a granddaughter clock is smaller still, usually under 5 feet. The names are informal; dealers draw the lines differently.

Who invented the grandfather clock?

After Christiaan Huygens invented the pendulum clock in 1656, English clockmakers found that a long pendulum with the new anchor escapement swung only a small arc and kept excellent time, but needed a tall case to hang in. London clockmaker William Clement is credited with developing the longcase clock around 1670, and Thomas Tompion was making them by 1680. They were called "longcase" or "tall case" clocks until the 1876 song "My Grandfather's Clock" by Henry Clay Work, inspired by a clock at the George Hotel in Piercebridge, England, gave them their popular name. Read more in the invention of the mechanical clock.

How much is a grandfather clock worth?

Values vary hugely. Mass-produced 20th-century clocks are often worth a few hundred dollars used; the cost of moving them is a big part of the market. Good 18th- and 19th-century English and American longcase clocks by known makers can sell for thousands, and rare examples by famous makers for far more. What matters most:

Maker and age: look for a name on the dial or movement; earlier and famous makers are worth more.
Originality: original dial, hands, movement and case, all belonging together ("married" clocks are worth less).
Case wood and condition: mahogany, walnut and inlay add value; damage, refinishing and replaced parts reduce it.
Working order: a clock that runs and chimes is worth more.

For a real value, ask a clock specialist or auction house to appraise it; the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) is a good place to find experts. To buy one new, furniture and clock dealers sell mechanical and quartz models; to sell one, try local antique clock dealers and auction houses.

Questions people ask

How do you set the time on a grandfather clock?

Move the minute hand clockwise, pausing at each quarter hour to let it chime. Adjust the hour hand alone if needed.

How often do you wind a grandfather clock?

Once a week for 8-day clocks. 30-hour clocks need winding daily.

Which weight goes where on a grandfather clock?

Facing the clock: hour strike on the left, time in the center, chimes (the heaviest) on the right.

How do you slow down a grandfather clock?

Turn the nut under the pendulum bob to the left so the bob drops a little. About one turn per half-minute a day is a common guide.

How do you speed up a grandfather clock?

Turn the nut under the pendulum bob to the right so the bob rises.

How tall is a grandfather clock?

Usually about 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m).

What is a grandmother clock?

A shorter, slimmer version of a grandfather clock, typically under about 6 feet 3 inches tall.

Sources

Last updated October 18, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.