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Spearheaded by an informal collective of French artists in the 1920s, the Art Deco movement soon spread and evolved into a massive international art movement focused on what was then considered ultramodern. The movement largely vanished during the Second World War, though it underwent a resurgence in the 1960s and has remained stylish ever since. Art Deco dealt with all manner of decorative arts, from architecture to decorative figurines and everything in between.

The Art Deco style was characterized by the use of what were considered modern materials in the 1920s and 1930s, such as aluminum, lacquer, inlaid wood and stainless steel as well as other, more exotic, substances. Further, as something of a reaction to the post-world War I austerity, the Art Deco movement was extremely lavish and opulent in nature. Many notable artists of the period made their careers – and achieved fame – through the movement and it remains a well defined style to this day beloved by many. Because the style employed elements of many other modern styles, there is often a question about whether or not any particular piece reflects Art Deco or one of the other art styles that it borrowed from.

In that Art Deco dabbled in almost all decorative mediums, not surprisingly this also included mantel clocks. Original Art deco clocks from the 1920s and 1930s were largely mass produced, but since much of this production was in Europe, only a small number of them survived the turmoil of the Second World War. Today, original Art Deco mantel clocks from the 1920s and 1930s are highly collectible and are often sold for huge thousands of dollars, depending on their current condition. Since these clocks were mass produced, they were often not produced very well, so when an example is found that is in excellent working condition its value as a collectible skyrockets.