Grandfather clock

The Grandfather Clock is a decorative item in The Sims, The Sims 2, and The Sims 3: Supernatural.

The Sims
"Defined, elegant, hand polished, the clock shown is from a private collection of the highest quality, collectable, investment grade clocks still on the market. No longer being manufactured, this clock is a wise investment and a thoughtful improvement to any room. Brazilian mahogany. Solid brass hand engraved dial."

The Grandfather Clock is available for §3,500 from the Decorative > All section of Buy mode. It can also be placed in all community areas except for Magic Town.

The Sims 2
"Though considered anachronistic by some in this present age of digital readouts, this timepiece ticks and tocks with a timeless stature that transcends the limitations of the modern digital age. The Ol' Grandfather Clock makes history of any hallway."

In The Sims 2, the clock is known as the Ol' Grandfather Clock, and is available for §3,500 from the Decorative > Misc. section of Buy mode. It is a functional clock; if it is kept wound, it will show the current time on the lot, and will chime every 6 hours. The chimes will wake any Sims who are sleeping in the same room as the clock. The clock is fully wound when bought, and will run down 72 game hours after being bought or wound.

Despite what the Prima guide says, the clock does depreciate over time. However, depreciation can be partially countered by using the Maintain option, which will appear after 10 days. This is not necessary; the clock will continue to run even if the Maintain option is never used.

The Maintain option allows a Sim to add value to the clock, at the risk of breaking it beyond repair. If this happens, the clock will collapse into wreckage, which must be cleaned up. Sims with higher Mechanical skill have less chance of breaking the clock, and Sims with 5 or fewer Mechanical skill points are almost certain to break it. However, the length of time the clock has gone without being maintained affects the amount of time needed to restore it to full maintenance, so even Sims with high Mechanical skill have a significant chance of breaking a clock that has been left un-maintained for too long