Clocks

American Timekeeping

The clock pictured is an ogee clock manufactured by the Waterbury Clock Company of Waterbury, Connecticut, and dates to roughly around the 1870s. The Waterbury Clock Company still exists today and was rebranded to Timex in the 20th century.

An ogee clock is named after the type of case in which it is housed in. Ogee clock cases use what is known as an ogee curve which is located on the front of the clock and frames the door and clock dial. These clocks were made as early as the 1840s and were manufactured as late as the 1910s. Because of the simple case design, these clocks took fewer skilled laborers to make and thus made them cheaper to produce. Many ogee clocks would feature painted glass panels on the door panel below the dial, however, this example just has a simple mirror. Mirrors were used either as a cost-effective alternative to reverse-painted glass panels or would be used as replacements for broken panels.

References

The reverse side of the clock's dial features the handwritten date November 28, 1881.

Writing found on the back panel of the clock.

The Waterbury Clock Company paper label on the inside of the clock features instructions for maintenance and operation.

This is an E. Ingraham Cabinet No. 14 mantel clock which dates to around 1885 or later. This is due to the fact that the patent date for the clock's movement is December 22, 1885. The clock features a "cathedral gong" and strikes every half hour. Despite the clock itself being no longer operational, the striking mechanism still works, meaning that when the hand is moved to the half-hour mark, it will still chime. The clock, which was not originally painted, is covered in an aged layer of what was probably supposed to be white or cream-colored paint. The clock still has its original E. Ingraham label on the back.

This is a vintage celluloid-cased clock that dates to either the 1920s or 1930s. This clock does not have a maker's mark from what we can currently tell although it does mention on the dial that it was made in the USA. It would have been part of a ladies' vanity set from that period. A vanity set is a set of plastic or celluloid make-up containers that would also include a small clock like the one pictured as well as a handheld mirror. To see other pieces that would have been included in a vanity set click the link here: Early Plastic 

This is an E. Ingraham Sentinel alarm clock from the 1940s or 1950s. The clock's case has a streamline design and is painted with white colored, possibly lead, paint. The Model number is SA14.

Asian Timekeeping

This unique alarm clock comes from China and possibly dates to the early 1990s. The clock's dial depicts the Chinese political leader Chairman Mao Zedong inside the sun rising over Tiananmen Square in Beijing as well as members of the Red Guard marching with a flag that reads, "Great Mentor, Great Leader, Long Life Chairman Mao." One of the figures in the foreground holds a copy of Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung (Zedong) which she waves back and forth every second. The second-hand features a 1960s fighter jet that circles the dial every minute.

These clocks were part of a fad known as Mao Fever or Mao Re which was based on the superstitious belief that Mao was a sign of good luck and because of this, many shopkeepers would sell novelties and knick-knacks portraying him. From glow-in-the-dark plastic busts to, in this case, novelty alarm clocks, Mao's portrait could be found on almost anything.

References

European Horology

This clock is a Kundo anniversary clock made in West Germany by a company called Kieninger and Obergfell. It is probably from the late 1940s or the 1950s.

Founder's note: This was my grandparents' clock. They gave it to me when they were moving.

This particular clock is probably a later one made in the early 20th century. 

This is a Morbier Clock. These clocks were made in France from the late 17th century until the 1920s. 

They were named after Morbier, a small town in France, part of the Franche-Comté reigion near the Swiss border. Morbier clocks were first invented by blacksmiths who repaired a tower clock in the town and decided to continue to work with clocks. 

Families in the Franche-Comté region would make parts for the clock such as the clocks' dials or parts of the clocks' movement. Commonly entire towns helped to manufacture these clocks.

References