The clock was designed by "Seth Thomas Clock Company" supplying the "Self Winding Clock Company" which was the company commissioned to create the "Grand Central Clock." The clock was in place when GCT opened in 1913, which also marked the 100 year anniversary of the Seth Thomas Clock Company.
The clock itself is made out of brass, with each of the four sides made out of precious opal. The opal is gently lit from behind giving the clock the warm glow. Though the clock is mechanical and runs on swiss motors, it is set according to the atomic clock in Washington, D.C. making it accurate within 1 second every 1.4 million years. Not a bad margin of error.
On TOP of the clock is a compass that points true north.
New Yorkers apparently tell each other "Meet me at the clock." For the record - the very first time I was ever told this was when I was TAKING my first tour of Grand Central Terminal, however I ended up waiting outside of GCT in front of a DIFFERENT clock on the the south side of the terminal - the clock that is made entirely out of Tiffany Glass. I felt silly. I guess my friends tend to not "meet at the clock." Never the less - the clock is a famous meeting spot because it is directly in the middle of the terminal making it easy to access from all entrances. It is also allegedly the the site of many a proposal, though I have not personally seen any. (I have seen two weddings by the whispering gallery.)
Despite all of this, what the "clock" is probably most famous for is that it is the clock Mellman the giraffe smashes his head into (and comically gets stuck in) in the movie Madagascar. Seth Thomas would be so proud!
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