Beautiful and Elegant Zaandam Wall Clock

We have had this clock for as long as we've been married.  It was a gift from my parents which they carried back with them on a trip to the Netherlands shortly after we were married.  The Zaanse clocks originated in Zaandam, a town near Amsterdam. You probably cannot find many Dutch homes that do not have one of these clocks

This clock is different in that it is an 8 day movement clock which means I have to pull up the solid brass weights every 8 days to keep it running.  It still works perfectly and it's something I cherish now that my parents have passed away.

My Zaanse clock is 20 inches tall and 8 inches wide.  The bell has a distict chime on the half hour and on the hour.  It is weight driven by the two brass pear shaped weights.  On the top there is a large brass Atlas.  He carries the world on his shoulder which is painted blue with gold stars.  There is a pendulum shaped as a man on a horse and this constantly swings back and forth.

I love the old look of this clock with the many brass figurines and scrollwork detail.  I was told by my dad that it is best to hang this type of clock on an inside wall of your house so that the outside temperture does not affect it's movement.

These clocks can be purchased at dutch import stores throughout the USA and also on ebay.  Many are passed down through the family and come in different woods, stains and also sizes.  My job is to move the weights up every Sunday when I wake up which I call my exercise of the day!