Classic Car Watches

Let’s face it, people who have been alive for more than thirty years have received a lot of birthday gifts, and sometimes it’s tough to even remember what you got last year!  I too, can’t remember what I got last year, but I do remember what I got for my 22nd birthday from my grandpa.  Now when you’re 22, you’re probably not expecting to receive a wall clock as a birthday gift.  But I was delighted when my grandpa gifted me with one of his favorite automobile clocks.  Grandpa collected those clocks over the course of several decades, and though I liked to think he would be around forever, I knew he would one day pass.  When he gave me that automobile clock, I knew it would be something that I could remember him by forever.

I hung my grandpa’s Chevrolet clock in my room and now it helps me keep track of time and reminds me of all the wonderful memories I shared with him.  I’ll probably pass it on to my kids one day. 

I’ve always been fascinated by my grandpa’s clock collection, even now that I’m an adult.  I’m not sure what it is about time, but he has a passion for clocks.  He told me a few weeks ago that he had over two hundred different clocks around his house!  I don’t know how my grandma stands it.  In addition to all the cuckoos, rock clocks, and wind-up clocks, he has an extensive collection of collectible clocks.  His collectible clocks range from Loony Tunes to automobile manufacturers, and he has entire hallways and rooms with different themes!

 While I don’t think I’ll ever want the excess of collectibles my grandpa has, I do have my own passion for driftwood.  I’ve started to build up a tidy little collection in my den, and I kind of wonder if one day I’ll become just like my grandpa.  I suppose one day, it just dawns on you that your collection has swelled to a size too large, but it’s not as if you would want to stop either! 

Though it wasn’t the first muscle car, the Ford Mustang is quite possibly the most recognized muscle car in America’s past.  While the newer Ford Mustangs offer a much smoother ride and more luxurious features, nothing beats the roar and the power of the classic 1950s Mustangs.  These classic automobiles revolutionized the industry with their unique headlights, shape, and powerful engine.  The older Mustang models are some of the most prized possessions at classic car shows.  

Mustangs, for all their grace and power, have become so well recognized in America that the car has generated an entire line of paraphernalia.  Whether purchasing a Mustang clock for your garage, a Mustang lamp for your den, or a Mustang watch to wear most everywhere, owners of these amazing automobiles are proud to display their enthusiasm, and with good reason! 

There’s been a lot of discussion in the media lately about the uncertain future of Chrysler, the makers of Jeep.  While the other major American automakers, GM and Ford, seem to have a plan to increase sales and secure their future, Chrysler has floundered much more than the other two.  For decades Jeep, one of Chrysler’s brands, has been the premier maker of the unique Jeep vehicles first commissioned by the army.  Whether you’re in a Wrangler or an old CJ-7 or CJ-5, the classic Jeep vehicle has a unique look that is seldom mimicked with success. 

It’s sad to think that Jeep could be gone forever, though it seems likely that some rival automaker would want to pick up the brand name at the least.  With an uncertain future, Jeep enthusiasts have begun to stockpile their paraphernalia including Jeep watches, Jeep clocks, and Jeep license plates.  It’s a great time to secure one of these timeless collectables while they’re still being produced. 

Sometimes finding the right holiday gift for someone can feel impossible.  For those special people in your life who deserve a bit of extra care, you want to give them something surprising and also unique; something they wouldn’t buy for themselves.  Here are a few holiday gift ideas with a personal touch sure to delight the recipient for years to come.

~Custom Designed Watches – a watch with a custom logo featuring something the recipient enjoys like… cars, sports, or even a particular brand name is an enjoyable gift that will be worn often.

~Digital Photo Frames – to personalize the gift, fill it with their favorite digital photos ahead of time, or photos of you and the recipient! 

~Personalized Gym Bag – it’s essential for those trips to the gym, overnight trips, or just taking to the office, and guaranteed to not be mixed up with other bags.

General Motors, makers of the Chevrolet brand famous for cars like the Malibu, Nova, and Impala, is in real danger of becoming extinct.  Though the Chevrolet brand has yielded some excellent cars in the past, gas guzzling SUVs and unattractive mid-size vehicles have crippled the Chevrolet brand in recent years.  Now without a government bailout it seems as if GM and Chevrolet might go under and disappear from the market forever.  Now is a great time to pick up all kinds of classic Chevrolet memorabilia, because who knows if it’s going to be around in the future. 

Items like Chevrolet clocks, key chains, logo jackets, and watches might become quite valuable and sought after.  With the future of the brand uncertain, there’s a great potential for collectors or enthusiasts to purchase these collectable items while they’re still available!

Here are a few gift ideas when you’re shopping for the automobile enthusiast in your family:

~Automobile watches and clocks; the watches are great for keeping track of time at all hours of the day, while the wall clocks make excellent garage or den ornaments

~NASCAR paraphernalia; any automobile enthusiast loves wearing their NASCAR shirts, jackets, and hats.  

~Classic car books; these books are common at bookstores, complete with text and enough cool pictures to make any auto lover swoon.

~Car accessories; be careful, they might already have it!  If they don’t have it chances are they would love to add it to their auto.

Years ago in the standard Australian household, a couple came home to find a curious set of legs sticking out from behind their wall clock.  Though frightened, the couple decided to remove the clock from the wall.  Doing so revealed a massive eleven inch Huntsman spider which immediately hissed at them.  The Huntsman is a common terror in Australian households, reaching up to twelve inches in length, it is one of the largest spiders in the world.  Fortunately the Huntsman is not poisonous.

Though this incident happened far away from the United States, it had people looking in their own homes for the telltale legs reaching from behind wall clocks.  Perhaps a clock spider lurks in your own home in the late night hours!

What Henry Ford did for the manufacturing of automobiles, a man named Harley Earl did for automobile design.  Earl worked for General Motors, and was the designer behind the innovative sports cars of the 1950s.  Perhaps Earl’s most renowned project was the Chevrolet Corvette, named after a small but maneuverable fighting frigate.  The corvette project was nearly canned by GM prior to the release of their first V8 engine.  The new engine coupled with other new technologies allowed the corvette to transformfrom an impractical sports car to a true performer. 

Today the corvette has become a symbol of speed, power, and wealth, and sports a full line of products and paraphernalia including stationary, towels, clothing apparel, and even timepieces like watches and the Corvette clock.

When my son was about three years old he saw the Neverending Story on television.  As the movie was marketed towards children, I didn’t think anything of it.  But for some reason he was afraid of the flying white dog from the movie.  For a few days he would wake up in the middle of the night and cry.  He had a nightlight, but after the fourth or fifth night I took my neon clock out of the guest room and put it on his wall. 

I’m not sure what I hoped to change, but after that he stopped waking up and crying.  My son is six now, and he won’t let me take it away.