When the Big Ben alarm clock was introduced in 1908, one of its important features was that the entire back of the case was the bell. This made the alarm ring louder and deeper than other alarm clocks of the time, which had a small bell on the top. When the Baby Ben alarm came out in 1910, it shared this feature of having the entire back as the bell. Until recently, all windup Big Bens and Baby Bens had this back bell.
Current production Baby Bens (made in China) have a small movement with a small internal bell. The back of the clock is PLASTIC, so obviously, it cannot be used as a bell!
Below is a slide show of a Baby Ben I purchased at Wal-Mart on March 8, 2008 for $7.97. It has a blue dial and back, and a silver color metal bezel and base. This shape of case is a reproduction of the style 8 Bens which were made from 1964 to 1981. The hands are luminous but the numerals are not. These new ones can be distinguished from the originals by having a plastic back and being made in China.
The movement has plastic gears for the center wheel through escape wheel, a plastic pallet assembly, and a plastic alarm escape wheel. The movement is labeled
NO(0) JEWELS
UNADJUSTED
SAILING.CHINA
The instruction sheet gives the following warranty:
Limited One-Year Warranty
Salton, Inc. warrants that this product will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of original purchase. This warranty covers only the original purchaser of the product. Salton’s obligation to satisfy the warranty is limited to either of the following actions, at Salton’s option: repair the product or replace it. To receive the benefit of this warranty, you must send the product together with this warranty (marked with the retailer’s name and address and date of purchase) to:
Attn: Repair Center
Salton, Inc.
708 South Missouri Street
Macon, MO 63552
(800) 919-3101
Salton makes no other warranties, either express or implied except as set forth in this express warranty. To the extent that any Federal or state law creates an implied warranty for this product , the implied warranty is limited to one year from the date of original purchase. Salton is not liable for any incidental, direct or consequential damages or loss whether arising by contract or otherwise. Some states in the U.S.A. do not permit the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations and exclusions my not apply to you. A consumer may have additional remedies granted by law. The warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights that vary from state to state.
In 1984, my friend Richard Tjarks and I published the “Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Identification Guide” to go along with the display of Westclox clocks and watches at the NAWCC National Convention in Indianapolis.
I have added recent research findings and more material to the guide, and it is available for download in PDF form. It is available free of charge, although donations are welcome! Jeff Wood and I are continuing our Westclox research. Jeff is particularly interested in early baby Ben and Big Ben history, while I am putting together general information about Big Ben and Baby Ben variations.
An article about the Westclox factory in Scotland was just added to the ClockHistory.com web site. This factory produced over 50 million clocks in its lifetime. Many of these clocks are still around today, and can easily be found on Internet auction sites.
In 1919, Westclox (Western Clock Company) published a parts and repair manual called “First Aid for injured Westclox.” I have only a fair photocopy of this manual, but hope to buy or borrow an original for scanning someday. For now, we have put only the general information and repair text on the ClockHistory.com web site. Some useful repair tips are included.
If you can loan or sell me an original copy, please let me know, as I would like to scan the entire manual and make it available as a PDF file. The manual includes parts lists for America, America – 1918 Model, Alternating, Baby Ben, Big Ben, Big Ben – 1918 Model, Bingo, Ironclad, LaSallita, Lookout, Sleep-Meter, Bunkie, Pocket Ben, Luminous Dials, Two-Inch Movement, and addendum listing interchangeable parts. Thanks!
Note: there was also a 1950 version of “First Aid for injured Westclox” which is more common, and I hope to post excerpts from it on ClockHistory.com.
The fire started shortly before the new year, and two teenagers were charged with arson.
Peru assistant fire chief Jim Duncan said the middle building portion of the Westclox complex was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived. “The fire was just out of control when we found it,” Duncan said. As Duncan explained, the Westclox complex includes three buildings, with some separation between each. Those small distances — and a firewall — helped firefighters contain the blaze to the building in which it originated. Duncan said businesses including Bakery Machinery and Fabrication, in the southernmost building, as well as those visible from U.S. 6 — including a bridal shop, a photographer, a salon, Curves and Total Environmental Service Technologies — were spared damage from the flames, though they may have smoke damage.
My wife and I photographed the outside in 2007, does anyone have more photos, especially of the inside, that I may display on my ClockHistory.com web site?
Here is a Big Ben style 1 I bought in 1981. It is in rough condition, but has a rare dial and an uncommon back. The movement has a date stamp 5 17 11 (May 17, 1911). The dial is like a regular Big Ben dial of the period, but it has the number “45” at the bottom. I don’t know the significance of “45” and have never seen another dial like this.
The back has an early example of the $2.50 price seal, with thick letters for “Big Ben” (and thick letters for “Westclox” behind the rear leg). I’ve seen only a couple examples of this specific back.
The dial is in poor condition, and the back is fair. But the dial is so rare that I am going to leave it alone. If I have time someday, I’ll clean the movement to get it running, and clean the case lightly. But I believe this clock should be preserved (or conserved), not restored. Sure, I could make a new replica dial, but I don’t see the point in doing that, as I would not enjoy the clock more than I do now. I like old Westclox clocks that are as-found, not restored, as they have more research value.
This post discusses how Western Clock Co. used the Big Ben alarm clock to introduce the Westclox trademark.
Summary
Western Clock Co. Mfg. Co. (later Western Clock Co.) was known for good, low-priced alarm clocks. The promoters of Big Ben realized this, and decided not to put the company name on Big Ben, because Big Ben was in a better class of clocks. Thus, early Big Ben alarms don’t have the company name at all. Big Ben was a huge marketing success, and so Western Clock Co., used it to improve their reputation, and to introduce the name Westclox (an abbreviation for WesternClocks). From late 1910 through 1917, many Big Ben alarms say Westclox on the back. A few Big Ben dials from 1911 through 1913 have Westclox at the bottom in small print. The full company name appears at the bottom of the dial starting in 1916. In 1917, the Westclox name moved to a prominent position on the dial.
Details
By the early 1900s, Western Clock Mfg. Co. was known for its good, low-priced alarm clocks such as the America. In 1908, advertising manager Gaston Leroy suggested the name Big Ben for a new alarm clock designed by George Kern. Big Ben was a better and higher-priced clock than their current alarm clocks, so LeRoy suggested that the company name not appear on Big Ben.
“In our new alarm, we have a clock that is on the contrary susceptible of being very successfully advertised, i.e., sold through advertising, through the public instead of the dealer. It is distinctive, new and attractive in appearance; therefore it will secure attention and be easily recognized and hard to substitute on. It is built on a good principle – The movement is all enclosed within the bell and the bell has a larger surface than any other clock, therefore the movement is better protected and the alarm more effective. It has on this account excellent talking points and selling points. It can be made at a relatively low cost, therefore sold either at a lower price than others, either with a larger margin of profit for the wholesaler and the retailer than the other makes and we can afford to put it up in an attractive manner in a good cardboard box and in a good shipping case, always a matter of great importance with the consumer. It is an absolutely new clock, one which has never been placed on the market and on which a special campaign of distribution and sales can be planned without having to tear down or change any previous policy and it is a clock that is important enough to justify a campaign for itself. It is a clock that will particularly appeal to the watchmakers because it can be easily taken apart and repaired and because it can be kept out of department stores, therefore one through which we can secure the jewelry trade, which is still keeping away from our goods and it is an article that will appeal to a higher class of consumers, the one that is the least affected by the cost of the goods, therefore a clock without the reach of the German peril.”
“The first step is to give the clock a good name that will at the same time be used as a trade mark. This matter is of extreme importance: a name has often made the success of an advertising campaign and frequently caused its failure.”
“I would for lack of better names, suggest the name “Big-Ben”. Big Ben is the name of a very well known Tower Clock in London, therefore appropriate for an alarm clock, it is a proper name, it is a distinctive name, it is a “jolly” name, short, pleasant to hear and pleasant to see in print. I shall therefore refer to this clock as the Big Ben in the balance of this report. Should we get out a small 2 inch alarm of the same style, we could call it “Bennie” or “Little Ben” and thus give it the benefit of any advertising we have done for the bigger clock.”
“The present trade mark could hardly be used on the BIG-BEN, because it already appears on the AMERICA which goes to a cheap trade and it would be bad policy to have on a $1.50 or $2.00 clock the same mark that appears on the 75¢ or 69¢ alarm. The name BIG-BEN would therefore be the trade mark. It would be mentioned conspicuously on every ad, placed on every dial, on every box and every case leaving our shipping room. It would be made so well known that the very same clock without the word BIG-BEN could not be sold for as high a price as those with the trade mark on. It might also be advisable to leave our name entirely off the dial of the clock because it already appears on the AMERICA and other low priced clocks.”
A relatively small number of Big Ben alarms were made from 1908 to mid-1910. They say “MADE IN U.S.A.” on the back and at the bottom of the dial. They followed LeRoy’s advice: there is no company identification on the clock.
The Westclox trademark was first used in November, 1909, according to its trademark registration.
Around October 1910 the Westclox name appeared on the back of Big Ben in a circular logo. The dial still didn’t say Westclox:
Westclox often appeared on the back in various forms through ca. 1917.
A few Big Ben dials made around 1911 through 1913 have Westclox at the bottom in small lettering:
In 1916, the company name appeared at the bottom of the dial, sometimes in very small print:
Finally, in 1917, Westclox appeared in a prominent position on the dial of Big Ben and their other clocks.
Thus, the company gradually introduced the name Westclox to the public on their clocks.
The word Westclox (an abbreviation for Western Clocks) first appeared on the backs of Big Ben alarm clocks ca. October 1910. In late 1911, Westclox appeared in the small print at the bottom of Western Clock Co. advertising. But Western Clock Co. didn’t apply for a trademark on Westclox until September 10, 1915, and the trademark was issued on January 18, 1916. The trademark contains the statement “The trade mark has been continuously used in the business of said corporation since the month of November, 1909.”
Why did Western Clock Co. wait so long to register the word Westclox? The company had registered at least 40 trademarks by late 1915, including model names such as “BIG BEN”, “Baby”, “baby Ben”, “LITTLE BEN” and “BEN”. Since they had registered many trademarks, but waited to register Westclox, they may not have known how important that name would become; or else they intended to gradually introduce the name to the public. Or perhaps they were testing the name Westclox to see how well it was accepted.
Advertisements
The word Westclox appeared in small print at the bottom of Western Clock Co. advertisements in late 1911, became more prominent, and finally was featured in large text in 1918. Below is a sequence of advertisements showing the use of word Westclox.
October 28, 1911 Saturday Evening Post: This is the oldest ad mentioning Westclox that I found. In the small print at the bottom right it says “A community of clockmakers stand back of him—Westclox, La Salle, Illinois”:
January 24, 1914 Saturday Evening Post: “Made In La Salle, Illinois by Westclox” is just below “Big Ben”, and “Made in La Salle, Illinois by Westclox” is at the bottom:
October, 1916 Cosmopolitan: “A Westclox Alarm” appears below “Big Ben”, and “Western Clock Co., Makers of Westclox” is printed at the bottom, and it has the paragraph “Westclox folk build more that 3 million alarms a year—and build them well. All wheels are assembled by a special process—patented, of course. Result—accuray, less friction, long life.” :
March 1918 Ladies’ Home Journal: Westclox is now prominent. Big Ben is on a shelf labeled “A Westclox Alarm”, and “Western Clock Co.—Makers of Westclox” is printed at the bottom:
June 29, 1918 Literary Digest: Now Westclox is the largest word in the ad. The text says: “Westclox is the trademark on the dial of every timepiece made by Western Clock Co. It is a pledge of quality”. The bottom says “Western Clock Co.—makers of Westclox”, and shows Lookout, Ironclad, Sleep-Meter, Baby Ben, Big Ben, Pocket Ben, Bingo and America:
The word Westclox is prominent in advertisements from Mid-1918 on, and clocks besides Big Ben begin to be featured. For example, here is the October 26, 1918 Saturday Evening Post, illustrating Big Ben, America, Sleep-Meter and Baby Ben (and mentions Pocket Ben, Lookout, Ironclad and Bingo in addition to the above clocks):
The word Westclox continued to be featured by Western Clock Co. on clocks and advertisements, and became the company’s name in 1936 (officially, Westclox Division of General Time Instruments Corporation).
Westclox suspended the production of consumer clocks and watches on July 31, 1942 to make material for World War Two. An alarm clock shortage developed, so early in 1943, the War Production Board (WPB) authorized Westclox to make a conservation model alarm clock. The WPB specified using 7 pounds of brass for every 1000 clocks instead of the normal 300 pounds. Westclox (or the WPB) named this clock “Waralarm”.
The first model Waralarm has a case of molded wood fiber (similar to cardboard but with a rougher texture), lacquered black. (Even though the W.P.B. specified a reduction in brass, the fiber case saved a lot of steel).
The Waralarm has a Westclox model 66 movement (the 66 was used for lower priced alarm clocks such as Bingo, Keno, General and Spur). The first Waralarm clocks have a bell alarm (as do other clocks with the model 66 movement), but most fiber cased examples have the cost-reduced buzzer alarm described in Patent 2360589.
The first fiber cased Waralarm clocks (ca. April 1943 to July 1943) have the following “early” features:
Bell alarm. The hole in the back panel for the tab of the buzzer alarm is empty.
$1.65 maximum price on a paper label on the back;
Front movement plate is brass, back plate is steel;
No date stamp on the movement;
Minute hand has a brass hub;
Dial doesn’t have a lip around the edge to help secure the glass.
The standard features of most fiber case Waralarm clocks are:
Buzzer alarm. Tab of buzzer alarm is visible in the hole in the back;
$1.65 maximum price imprinted into the back;
Steel movement plates, gears are steel except for brass escape wheel, balance wheel and shuck pinion;
Movement has a date stamp;
One-piece steel minute hand (no hub);
Lip around dial plate to help secure glass lens;
Variations I’ve observed:
A few have steel clicksprings; these must have proved unreliable, as brass clicksprings are usually seen;
A few have been observed with a steel balance wheel, but most have a brass balance wheel.
I’ve seen three different sets of markings on the backs of fiber case Waralarm clocks:
$1.65 price sticker on the back (ca. April 1943 to ca. July 1943);
$1.65 price stamped into the back, does NOT say PAT. PDG. (ca. August 1943 to November 1943);
$1.65 price stamped into the back, says PAT. PDG. and MADE IN U.S.A. (ca. December 1943 to the end of production).
Type 1 has curved arrows above the winding keys, types 2 and 3 have straight arrows.
The oldest date I’ve seen on a fiber cased Waralarm is September 1943, and the newest is March 1943.
The fiber cased Waralarm was made for about a year (ca. April 1943 to ca. April 1944), then replaced by the Metal Case Waralarm.
The Westclox Metal Case Waralarm replaced the Fiber Case Waralarm around April 1944. Most have a black case, some have ivory color cases, and I have knowledge of one in a metallic brown case.
The Metal Case Waralarm is very hard to open (the bezel is a press fit, and the un-plated steel tends to rust, making the bezel and case body adhere tightly) and so I have opened up only some poorer examples to find the movement date.
I recently opened 5 black Metal Case Waralarms and examined them. The movement dates range from May 1944 to August 1944. All these examples have the bell alarm (whereas most of the Fiber Case Waralarm have the buzzer alarm). All but one example have steel movement plates, and steel gears except for brass shuck pinion, trip cam, escape wheel, and balance.
Metal Case Waralarm Dated May 1944
Steel movement plates, and steel gears except for brass shuck pinion, trip cam, escape wheel, and balance.
Shiny dial plate.
Metal Case Waralarm Dated July 1944
Steel movement plates, and steel gears except for brass shuck pinion, trip cam, escape wheel and balance.
Dull dial plate.
Two Metal Case Waralarm Examples Dated August 1944
Steel movement plates, and steel gears except for brass shuck pinion, trip cam, escape wheel and balance. (4 brass wheels);
Dull dial plate.
Metal Case Waralarm Dated August 1944 with Brass Movement Plates
Brass movement plates, and steel gears except for brass shuck pinion, trip cam, T3, escape wheel, and balance. (5 brass wheels);
Dull dial plate.
It is interesting that one of the August 1944 examples has brass movement plates, and two have steel plates. Perhaps the material restriction on brass had ended?
The Raven Alarm
The Raven alarm clock replaced the Metal Case Waralarm, and was introduced on September 21, 1944, according to the Westclox Price Change Book (from the collection of Ellworth Danz, former chief stylist at Westclox). Raven has a black painted round metal case, and is similar to Waralarm, with the following differences:
Dial says “Westclox” instead of “Waralarm”;
Bottom of dial says “MADE BY WESTCLOX, LA SALLE, ILL., U.S.A” instead of “MADE IN LA SALLE, ILL., U.S.A.”;
Back of clock has the model name “RAVEN” stamped into it;
The back says “PATD. U.S.A. 2360589 MADE IN U.S.A.”
The Metal Case Waralarm Was Made for a Short Time
The Metal Case Waralarm was made for a short time (five to six months), approximately from April 1944 to September 1944. This is only half the period that the Fiber Case Waralarm was made. I don’t have any production figures.
Metal Case Waralarm was made from ca. April 1944 to ca. September 1944.
Raven was made from September 1944 to January 1947.
Bingo style 2 went back into production Sept. 25, 1947 (source: the Price Change Book). Bingo has the alarm shutoff knob on top, while Waralarm and Raven have the shutoff knob on the back. Bingo style 2 made before WWII have a two-tone dial with thick numerals, those made after the war have a white dial with thinner numerals.
The first alarm clocks that Westclox made have round cases with legs. In 1926, their first alarm clock with a base, the Ben Hur, was introduced. In 1927, Westclox introduced Big Ben Style 2 and Baby Ben Style 2, the first Big Bens and Baby Bens with a base instead of legs.
Big Ben Style 1a Nickel Plain
Baby Ben Style 1 Nickel Plain
Ben Hur Nickel Plain
Big Ben Style 2 Nickel Plain
Baby Ben Style 2 Nickel Luminous (base is deteriorating)
Baby Ben Style 2 Nickel Plain (base is deteriorating)
Clock Base Types
Westclox’s first bases were die cast of a zinc alloy. Westclox had several outside companies cast these bases for them, and may have made some themselves. Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks had die cast bases until 1970 or 1971, when molded plastic bases came out.
Some models, starting in the early 1930s, had stamped sheet metal bases. These include some Keno models, Bingo style 2, Hustler styles 1 and 2, and others. And some models, such as Bellboy and Keno Style 4, have a wire bail base.
Die Casting History
The first die casting process used tin and lead alloys to make type for printing. In the 1890s, complex shapes for items such as cash registers and phonographs began to be cast. In 1914, zinc and aluminum alloys were introduced for casting, allowing stronger parts to be made. Copper and magnesium alloys were introduced in the next few years. Reference: A Brief History Die Casting.
Ben Hur Bases
The earliest Ben Hur bases I’ve seen (on clocks dated from February 1926 to September 1928) have the The Doehler Die Casting Company logo on them. Later bases either have an “A” or no logo on them. I don’t know if the “A” is a logo used by a die casting company, or is an identifier that Westclox put on bases they made themselves.
Early base 4-11-27 with ink stamped patent information and Doehler logo
Doehler logo
Ben Hur base with the “A” logo
The “A” logo
Big Ben Style 2 Bases
Here’s the bottom of an early Big Ben Style 2 base (ca. 1927) that was made by the Dura Company of Toledo, Ohio (the same company that later made the popular Dura Case (La Salle) Series clock cases). It has a logo with the name DURA inside a diamond:
Here’s an example of a base made by The Doehler Die Casting Company of Toledo, Ohio. It has the D D C Co. logo on the bottom:
Here’s a base made by a company I haven’t identified yet. It has a logo of a diamond with an ampersand inside it. I once had an old Sunbeam Mixmaster from the1930s or 1940s that had the same symbol in the die case base:
If you know what company used the Diamond Ampersand logo, please let me know!
Many Big Ben Style 2 Big Bens have a base with an “A” and a combination of dots or dashes below it. The “A” may be the logo of a company I haven’t identified, or it may be an identifier that Westclox put on bases they made themselves. Here are a few examples:
“A dash dot”
“A dot” wide
“A dot dash dot”
“A dot dash dot”
“A dot” narrow rim
“A dot dot”
There are other variations, such as narrow or wide rim on bottom, some say “RD-1927” and some don’t, and variations in the patent text. Because there are so many base variations, it would take a sample of hundreds of clocks to verify any patterns of use by date (and, because the bases are interchangeable, there’s no way to prove that the base on a clock is original). Also, some types are used over a range of several years. Thus, I’m not going to spend much time on this, but will point out the following:
The Doehler base was used a lot in 1927, but I’ve also seen 1928 and 1930 examples.
Wide rim bases predominate in the early years and narrow rim bases in the later years.
I’ve seen the Diamond Ampersand base on clocks made from 1929 through 1931.
The “A” bases predominate in later years.
Baby Ben Style 2 Bases.
Some Baby Ben Style 2 bases say “61-A” on the bottom and have the Doehler Die Casting Company logo:
Most of the Baby Ben Style 2 bases do not say “61-A”, but have something like “1 A”, “2 A”, “3 A” or “4 A” on them (as well as other lettering) and don’t have a die casting company logo. I don’t know if Westclox or an outside company made these.
Die Cast Clock Base Deterioration
Many of the Ben Hur bases and Big and Baby Ben Style 2 bases are deteriorating badly today. I’ve been told that impurities in the casting alloy, and moisture, are the causes. In my experience, bases made in mid-1929 and later are very often in excellent condition, whereas earlier bases often have many cracks or are falling apart. This deterioration may be Zinc Pest, which was discovered to be a problem in 1923.
The first Baby Ben Style 2 I acquired is a pink crackle model dated 5-12-28. When I bought it in 1969 it was starting to crack; and the cracking has gotten worse over the years. About 20 years ago, I coated the base in epoxy, this has slowed but not stopped the cracking process.
Note: I’m keeping track of external variations in Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks. Some of these variations are useful for estimating when a clock was made. Variations in the lettering on the dials, backs, and bases are often useful in this way. I’m putting these (and other) variations in the Westclox Clock Variations section of the clockhistory database.
Big Ben and Baby Ben Style 2 were first made in a polished nickel finish. Later various colors were made. See my history website for a list of models. Ben Hur was also first made with nickel finish, with painted color finishes added later.
Westclox researcher Gary Biolchini found a 1903 Western Clock Mfg. Co. catalog at an auction. The front cover is blank, and page 1 shows how their factory grew in size. The catalog has 23 pages. It shows the Western Clock method of construction, America Alarm, Rome Alarm, Enameled Alarm (available in Vine, Daisy and Heraldic pattern), Long Alarm, La Reine Alarm (later called Lookout), Champion, F. W. Alarm (later called Ironclad), La Sallita (two inch time only), The American pocket watch, Two inch movement clocks Sylph, Savoy, Louvre, Venice, Vendome, Tourenne, Toulon; and five porcelain clocks with two inch movements.
Here are the first four pages:
Gary scanned the catalog, and you may view it at the following web page:
I began collecting Westclox Baby Ben alarm clocks when I was 13 years old (1969). After college, I got into Westclox collecting and research in a big way.
My research includes finding and studying Westclox catalogs. Besides being attractive and interesting, catalogs are a primary source for data on when various clocks and watches were made.
I wrote to Westclox, and they sent me their 1969 – 1970 catalog. After discovering eBay in 1999, I found more catalogs (and am still searching). Fellow researchers and museums have also loaned catalogs and scans.
Here are some Westclox catalog covers:
1902 Westclox Catalog
1935 Westclox Catalog
1955 Westclox Catalog
1959 – 60 Westclox Catalog
1969 – 70 Westclox Catalob
1964 – 65 Westclox Catalog
Friend and researcher Greg Adams asked me to list my catalogs, so below are links to them in my ClockHistory database. Most are from the United States, some are from Canada, and one is from Scotland. Thanks to Gary Biolchini for the latest addition, the 1903 catalog.
Note: When I say “Westclox”, that includes predecessor companies Western Clock Mfg. Co. and Western Clock Company.
Westclox USA Catalogs in the ClockHistory Database
Other Westclox Documents in the ClockHistory Database
Besides the catalogs listed above, there are catalogs from retailers and other types of documents like advertisements, price lists and parts catalogs. They can be seen at the following page:
For searching, you can enter one of these Document Types: Catalog, Ad, Magazine, Price List, Parts Catalog, Brochure, Booklet, Company Paper, Repair, Photo, Research or Instructions in the “Document Type” search field.
I’ve liked Westclox Style 5 Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks ever since my Grammy gave me a black Style 5 Baby Ben when I was 14 years old. The Style 5’s case shape was designed by Henry Dreyfuss, well-known industrial designer, and is covered by U.S. Design patent Des. 114262, applied for in November 1938 and issued in April 1939.
There are two major Style 5 Big Ben cases: Style 5 and Style 5a. They look much the same, but the 5a has a thicker case. Style 5a cases say “S4-D” on the bottom of the base, while Style 5 cases say “69-C”. The Style 5a’s base is 2 3/16″ from front to back, while the Style 5’s base measures 2″.
You will see that the Electric Style 5a Chime Alarm was the first of these models (introduced in December 1938 in black).
The key winds came out in 1939 (the Loud Alarm in Style 5a black case and Chime Alarm in Style 5 black or ivory case.)
Style 5a Electric Chime Alarm, black plainStyle 5a Electric Chime Alarm, ivory plainStyle 5a Electric Alarm (not Chime), ivory plainStyle 5 Chime Alarm, ivory plainStyle 5 Chime Alarm, ivory luminousStyle 5 Chime Alarm, ivory luminous, last year of production with solid brown luminous dialStyle 5 Chime Alarm, black plainStyle 5a Loud Alarm, black plain (deeper case than Style 5)Style 5 Loud Alarm, black plain (replaced the style 5a Loud alarm in 1946)
In 1940, the Ivory case Electric Style 5a Chime Alarm was added, and around July 1941 the Electric Style 5 (not Chime Alarm) in ivory replaced the Electric Style 5a Chime Alarm models.
All models were available with plain or luminous dials. The models called “black” are actually a gunmetal painted finish. The gunmetal color has variations, and earlier ones seem to have a two layer finish.
Production was suspended in July 1942 for the war and resumed in 1945.
In November 1946 the Loud Alarm movement was redesigned to be thinner (using the same gears with modified plates) and the Loud Alarm became a Style 5 (still made in black only).
Ivory Luminous Style 5 Chime Alarms usually have a brown-banded dial, but this luminous dial was changed to solid brown for the last year of production (see pictures above).
The Style 5 was replaced by the Style 6 in 1949. Some quartz Style 5 reproductions were made recently.
My clockhistory.com website has a database of Westclox clock and watch models, documents, case styles, clock detail variations, and patents. The main Westclox database page is https://clockhistory.com/0/westclox/page1.html. For starters, it is easiest to view the above page on a desktop computer or high resolution tablet, as the database columns are spread out in a nice array.
Westclox Database – Tick Talk Magazines
Westclox published their “Tick Talk” magazine for employees for many years, and I collected the issues I could without spending an outrageous amount. I went through each issue and scanned the pages with historical information and other information that interested me. For every issue I have, I scanned the cover and posted it (to indicate that I examined it), even if I didn’t scan any of the pages inside. Much of the material in the Tick Talk magazines was of interest to the employees of Westclox but is not of general interest to Westclox collectors.
Then type “Tick Talk” in the Document Series search box at the top and hit return.
To find new models that were introduced in the Tick Talk, enter “New Model” in the Description search box and hit return.
To look at a certain year, such as 1935, type “1935” into the Date search box. To get the decade of the 1940s, for example, type “194” into the date search box.
Any of these will bring up a list of pages. Click on the Document Name on the left or the thumbnail image, and a large view will come up. Then you can use the previous and next navigation links.
Topics from the Tick Talks that I tagged include New Model, Discontinued Model, Model Change, Factory, Manufacturing, Marketing (market conditions, competition, etc.), Price, Corporate (name changes, acquisitions, wages, production figures, etc.), Picture, Cover Caption, Advertisement, Advertisement Caption, Picture Caption (if on different page), Historical Picture, Historical Picture Caption, Historical Article, Personnel, Article. Type any of the above into the “Description” search box and hit return to do a search.
Then type “Parts” in the Document Type search box and press return or tab.
Seven items come up (see screenshot posted below). Click on one of them (the image or the underlined text) and a large view comes up. You may then page through it or navigate to the previous or next catalog using the arrows.
P.S. Some of the other Document Types include Advertisement, Catalog, Price List, Brochure, Booklet, Book, Magazine, Newspaper, Price Change and Photo.
Many vintage Westclox alarm clocks have patent numbers or dates stamped on the back. I put the most common patents in the clockhistory.com database. You can see them on the following web page: https://clockhistory.com/1/patent/list-company/westclox
For example, you’ll see 1,848,520 on the backs of some style 5 Baby Ben alarm clocks. Enter “1848520” into the No. search box and hit tab or return, and you’ll see that this patent is for a clock timing machine.
Then if you click on the title or the image, details about the patent will come up. You can then click on “Google Patents” and then “Download PDF” to view the full patent. Use the browser’s back button to return to the database.
[Note: on the patent detail pages, the links to the U.S. Patent database no longer work, and I haven’t found a URL format that will access a patent directly (it worked so conveniently, until the Patent Office changed things).]
Earlier Westclox clocks have patent dates instead of numbers. For example, you’ll see Oct. 28, 1902 on the back of many older Westclox. Go back to the Westclox patents page (https://clockhistory.com/1/patent/list-company/westclox) and enter “1902” in the Date search box, hit tab or return, and you’ll see that this patent is for a lantern pinion. This is the fundamental Westclox-style pinion, with a lead alloy body and inset hard steel wires for pivots and trundles.
For a special treat, clear the Date search box, then enter “Des” (uppercase or lowercase doesn’t matter) into the Type search box, hit return (or tab), then enter “Ben” into the Summary search box and hit return; and you’ll see a list of design patents for the Big Ben and Baby Ben.
Then, click on Search in the breadcrumb to get back to the list.
Type “Util” in the Type search box, and several patents about Big Ben and Baby Ben mechanics will come up.
If you type “Tr” in the Type search box, the Ben-related trademarks come up. Trademarks are interesting in that they have an “In Use” date that may indicate when a model was first made. Clear the word “Ben” from the Description field (and hit return or tab) and all the Westclox trademarks I’ve cataloged so far will come up.
Max Schlenker and Ellworth Danz were well-known designers at Westclox. You can enter “Schlenker” or “Danz” (or other name) in the Inventor search box to see their patents (first clear the other search boxes).
Clear the search boxes (or click “Patents” in the breadcrumb), and then you can search for patents by “Category”. Categories of Westclox patents include Windup Clock, Alarm Mechanism for a Clock, Windup Watch, AC Electric Clock, Clock Synchronous Motor, Clock Power Outage Indicator, DC Electric Clock, Automobile Clock, Clock Case, Watch Case, Clock Technology, Clock & Watch Manufacturing, and Weather Instrument.
Then, to find a patent by its number, use the Quick Lookup at the top. For regular (utility patents), enter the 7-digit number (such as 1563431). For design patents, enter the letter D followed by 6 digits (such as D114262).
For years I wondered why the backs of Westclox alarm clocks listed patent dates at first, then were changed in 1927 to show patent numbers. Recently I was reading a book about vacuum tube history [Saga of the Vacuum Tube by Gerald F. J. Tyne, 1977, p. 283], and found:
“In April 1927 the U.S. patent law was revised and required that the patent marking on any article made under a patent issued after that date should consist of the patent number rather than the date of issue, as heretofore. An article made under patents issued prior to the effective date of change in the law could be marked with either the date of issue or the patent number.”
Stamping patent numbers instead of dates on the backs of clocks makes sense for the following reason. When one searches by a patent date, there may be many results for that date; but each patent number has a unique patent.
The pictures below show examples of the change from patent dates to patent numbers in the Big Ben Style 1a and the Baby Ben Style 1.
Big Ben Style 1a back with patent dates.Closeup of patent dates on the back of a Big Ben Style 1a.Big Ben Style 1a back with patent numbers (starting in 1927). Baby Ben Style 1 (leg model) with patent dates on the back.Baby Ben Style 1 with patent numbers on the back (starting in 1927).
The following pages on the clockhistory website list some back types of Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks:
I found a document giving a brief history of patent marking requirements [Santa Clara High Technology Law Journal, Volume 11, Issue 2, Article 1, January 1995, Patent Marking of Systems, Carl Oppedahl].
“The earliest patent statutes imposed no duty on a patent owner to mark articles. All persons were “bound to take notice of their contents”. The Patent Act of 1842 required the patent owner to mark each product with the date of the patent, and failure to do so would result in a fine of not less than one hundred dollars. The Patent Act of 1861 changed the marking requirement, eliminating the fine for failure to mark and instead establishing a rule much like today’s rule, where failure to mark relieves an infringer of liability for conduct prior to the date of actual notice. The Patent Act of 1870 left the 1861 marking rule substantially unchanged, as did the Act of 1927. The 1927 Act did, however, change the required mark to the word “patent” and the patent number. The marking provision of the Patent Act of 1952 left the marking requirement largely unchanged except to permit the abbreviation “pat.” in place of “patent”.”
The 1927 Patent Law
The 1927 patent law [SIXTH-NINTH CONGRESS. Sess II. Chs. 66, 67. 1927. pp. 1058 – 59] says:
“February 7, {1927, H. R. 7563.} {Public, No. 580.}”
CHAP. 67.—An Act To amend section 4900 of the United States Revised Statues.
“Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 4900 of the Revised Statutes of the United States shall be amended to read as follows:
“It shall be the duty of all patentees and their assigns and legal representatives, and of all persons making or vending any patented article for or under them, to give sufficient notice to the public that the same is patented; either by fixing thereon the word ‘patent’ together with the number of the patent, or when, from the characteristics of the article, this can not be done, by fixing to it, or to the package wherein one or more of them is inclosed, a label containing the like notice: Provided, however, That with respect to any patent issued prior to April 1, 1927, it shall be sufficient to give such notice in the form following, viz: ‘Patented,’ together with the day and year the patent was granted; and in any suit for infringement by the party failing so to mark, no damages shall be recovered by the plaintiff, except on proof that the defendant was duly notified of the infringement and continued, after such notice, to make, use or vend the article so patented.”
The “Logan” electric alarm clock was one of the first new products that Westclox introduced after world war II. Produced from October 1945 through 1953, Logan was made with both plain and luminous dials. Logan has an ivory color painted metal case 4 3/4 inches tall, a convex glass lens, a self-starting model M2 synchronous electric motor, and a power interruption indicator.
Here’s a plain (non-luminous) Logan that I repaired for a customer. It has the date code 11 45 (November 1945) on both the motor and the back plate of the movement. Thus, this is an early example.
The red dot in the dial is the power outage indicator. After you plug the clock into a power outlet, you tilt the clock backward and slightly upside down. This resets the dot to ivory color (to match the dial), and it stays this color as long as the clock has electrical power. The dot turns red again if the power fails, this signals you that the time on the clock may be incorrect and should be checked, and reset if necessary. The power outage indicator feature was common on self-starting electric clocks until around the early or mid-1950s, by which time residential electricity was more reliable.
The plastic dial on the back is for setting the time the alarm will ring. In the bottom picture you can see the alarm hammer and bell. The M2 is Westclox’s second design of electric clock motor. See clockhistory.com for more on clock motors.
Repair job 9026. This clock apparently ran for many years without lubrication, as four pivots were rusty; of these, three were nearly worn through and was was completely worn off. See picture below:
Badly worn and rusty pivots
I found replacement gear assemblies for these (they could have been repivoted if needed). I polished the pivots and installed four bushings. I used 10W-60 and 5W-40 synthetic motor oil for the pivots; the motor was lubricated with Molykote Light grease.
