North Jersey Media Group

North Jersey Media Group . You might think that clocks would be obsolete by now.

To find out the time, most of us have lots of other options: a wristwatch, a cellphone, the corner of a computer screen.

Yet clocks are bigger than ever -- in popularity and size. On walls across America, artwork is being bumped to the closet by oversize clocks in living rooms, kitchens, hallways and even bathrooms and outdoor patios.

"I love to throw in large-scale clocks in decor, especially in a breakfast room over a table, so large that it makes a statement," said Elaine Minervini of Esprit Decor in Westwood.

Venerable clockmaker Howard Miller of Zeeland, Mich., has tuned into the trend with new offerings. The Camille, for example, is meant for the kitchen or bath and has a front door that opens to reveal a storage compartment for dishes, towels or linens.

Perhaps the most pronounced fad in clocks at the moment is steel, chrome and wrought iron. "This look is most popular in wall decor," said Mark Siciliano, director of marketing for Howard Miller. On-trend elements include round heads and sleek, stylish bases.
"Blond woods, woven materials and neutral colors are forecasted to be 2007 trends," said Mark Olszowy, product manager for clocks for Salton at Home.

Some trends are regional. Siciliano notes that Northeast consumers remain partial to the grandeur of traditional floor clocks, preferably with embellishments such as swan-neck pediments, carved moldings, floral overlays and interior lighting.

Plainer grandfathers go for about $600 at Andrews Clocks & Watches in Hillsdale; fancier ones can cost as much as $20,000. "These are clocks that are absolutely unbelievable, like a fine piano," said owner Russell Andrews, grandson of the shop's founder.

But seventh-generation clock seller Ruben Braun of Andres Braun Clocks in Passaic says sales of grandfather clocks are slowing because people don't want to bother winding them. Only Ridgeway Clocks in Ridgeway, Va., makes a synchronous grandfather clock that doesn't need winding (list price: $4,812).

"We have radio-controlled [wall and table] clocks where you never have to set them," said Braun. "They receive a signal from the U.S. atomic clock in Colorado so they're never more than a second off."

Radio-controlled models, which automatically reset themselves for daylight-saving time and during travel to different time zones, are made by a variety of manufacturers, including Seiko, Seth Thomas and Bulova. They range in price from $50 to $500.

Chiming clocks, in the same price category, also are popular. Andrews sells Rhythm models made in Japan that play tunes on the hour....