Movement

Etched in time. Marking 250 years of freedom.

On July 4th, 2026, the United States of America turns 250. Some moments in history are too significant to let pass unmarked.

Chelsea Clock has kept America's time for nearly 130 years. The Columbia Collection is how we mark its 250th.

Two and a half centuries of independence. Two hundred and fifty years of a republic built, tested, defended, and carried forward by every generation that came before us. The 250th anniversary of the United States is not merely a milestone — it is a unique moment in time. It deserves to be honored with intention. It deserves to be held.

Founded in 1897 and still manufacturing in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Chelsea Clock is America's oldest and largest maker of luxury mechanical clocks and marine timepieces. For nearly 130 years, our clocks have kept time aboard U.S. Navy vessels, in the offices of presidents, across every branch of the military, and in the homes of generations of Americans who understood that a well-made clock is not a decoration — it is a record of the hours that mattered.

Columbia Collection Details

Introducing the Columbia Collection. Three limited edition timepieces, each conceived with the gravity this anniversary demands and built to the standard Chelsea has held since 1897.

At the heart of each mechanical clock beats our 12E movement, — hand-built from more than 125 brass and steel parts, requiring more than a month to produce, and available for the first time in nearly a quarter century. Every movement is hand-assembled by craftspeople who each average nearly two decades of experience, then repeatedly tested for accuracy, precision, and quality at our factory in Chelsea, Massachusetts. The case of the Columbia is finished with a precision-machined surface, highlighting its solid forged brass origins. The face of the clock is encircled by 250 individually etched rays on the bezel — one for each year of the republic. A custom silvered dial with a unique face design is paired with a matching set of custom black hands. The casing is mounted to a hand-finished, solid wood architectural base. On the back of the clock, the officially licensed America 250™ seal can be engraved, defining this design's moment in time.

250 Ray Bezel

Two hundred and fifty years, each one accounted for. Every ray etched in brass, encircling the dial — ensuring none are forgotten.

Optional America 250™ Logo Etched onto the Back Plate

A considered detail available on every clock in the collection. Officially licensed — a permanent record of the moment.

Custom Dial & Custom Black Hands

Designed exclusively for the Columbia Collection, a new hand and face design evokes Chelsea's heritage while looking forward.

The 12E Movement — American-Made, Hand-Assembled

More than 125 brass and steel parts. More than a month to build and test. Assembled by craftspeople averaging nearly two decades of experience. The 12E is not a component — it is an American engineering marvel at the heart of the clock.

Individually Serialized

Each mechanical clock carries its own serial number — and can be personalized — making every piece as singular as the moment it commemorates.

Design

The Columbia Collection is a collaboration of the Chelsea engineers and designers Cutter Hutton and Ayako Takase. The team designed the Columbia clocks to celebrate the masterful craftsmanship, quality materials, and remarkable engineering that define Chelsea Clocks while artfully reflecting on our nation’s past and looking towards its future. Hutton & Takase’s studio, Observatory, is located in Providence, Rhode Island, where the two teach at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Every great era deserves to be marked.

Chelsea Clock has kept America's time for nearly 130 years. The Columbia Collection is how we mark its 250th.