20th c After 1900 American 1920s? Ingraham 8-Day Alarm Luminous Clock

[captainclock]

Hello everyone, today when I was out looking around some local antique malls I picked up a 1920s or 1930s vintage Ingraham Clock Company 8-Day Luminous Alarm Clock which I thought was kind of interesting because most wind-up alarm clocks are 30-Hour movements, this was the first I've seen that was an 8-Day movement, and it does still run and the glow-in-the-dark paint on the hands and numbers on the dial still glows yet which is unusual for a clock that's almost 100 years old because most clocks I've seen like this don't glow anymore even ones only 50 years old.

How common are 8-Day Alarm Clocks exactly, because I've not seen any up until now.

See Pictures Below.

 

[JTD]

I am not expert in American clocks, but I don't think your alarm clock is as old as you state. I would think this may be from 1940s, even 50s.

But I may well be wrong, others may be able to say more accurately.

JTD

 

[captainclock]

I am not expert in American clocks, but I don't think your alarm clock is as old as you state. I would think this may be from 1940s, even 50s.

But I may well be wrong, others may be able to say more accurately.

JTD

I was guessing 1920s or 1930s because of the style of the hands and dial, Also after WWII Ingraham decided to focus mainly on fuses, and electric clocks including electric alarm clocks, and in the 1950s they were bought out by McGraw-Edison (the company that was the parent company to the likes of Eskimo, Mastercraft, Zero, and Toastmaster just to name a few electric appliance manufacturers), and this alarm clock says on the bottom of the dial Ingraham Clock Co. Bristol, Conn., USA, plus with it being a windup alarm clock tells me its pre-WWII at least going by what little information I could find about Ingraham Clock Co.

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Ingraham sometimes put a date code on the handset knob of their alarm clocks. It would read like the date codes on their pendulum movements. For example, I have an Ingraham alarm clock that commemorates the silver jubilee (25th year) of Gambles stores. It has a date of"2 50" on the handset knob for February 1950. I can't tell from your pictures whether there is such a date on your handset knob. From what I can see, I would say it does not, but I can't be sure one way or the other.

 

[captainclock]

Ingraham sometimes put a date code on the handset knob of their alarm clocks. It would read like the date codes on their pendulum movements. For example, I have an Ingraham alarm clock that commemorates the silver jubilee (25th year) of Gambles stores. It has a date of"2 50" on the handset knob for February 1950. I can't tell from your pictures whether there is such a date on your handset knob. From what I can see, I would say it does not, but I can't be sure one way or the other.

Ok, I kind of wondered about that, I'll see if I can find a date code on the clock somewhere. It didn't look like there was anything stamped on the time set knob, but it could be that I just wasn't looking for one though either because I didn't know there would be one there.

 

[captainclock]

I looked at the time and alarm set knobs on the clock and neither of them had a date code stamped on them, which makes me think the date code is stamped on the movement itself which will mean I will have to take the clock case apart to check the movement.

 

[captainclock]

OK so I took the clock apart and there was no date code stamped on the movement either, that I could see, see the picture below, but the way the movement is put together it definitely looks 1920s or 1930s vintage.

 

[JTD]

but the way the movement is put together it definitely looks 1920s or 1930s vintage.

Well, you may be right. But I still think it is not a old as that.

Others may know more.

JTD

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Just a couple of comments.

in the 1950s they were bought out by McGraw-Edison

It was actually in 1967.

with it being a windup alarm clock tells me its pre-WWII

As I mentioned above, I have one wind-up alarm clock with a date of "2 50" on the hand-set knob. So, yours is not necessarily pre-WWII on that basis alone.

In 1958, the E. Ingraham Company name was changed to Tthe Ingraham Company. Since your clock says Ingraham, Bristol, Conn., USA (not Ingraham Clock Co. Bristol, Conn., USA ), I wonder whether that is a result of the 1958 name change. The 1950 alarm clock I have says "The E. Ingraham Company, Bristol, Conn., USA ." That may making too much out a little thing, however.

 

[captainclock]

Just a couple of comments.


It was actually in 1967.


As I mentioned above, I have one wind-up alarm clock with a date of "2 50" on the hand-set knob. So, yours is not necessarily pre-WWII on that basis alone.

In 1958, the E. Ingraham Company name was changed to Tthe Ingraham Company. Since your clock says Ingraham, Bristol, Conn., USA (not Ingraham Clock Co. Bristol, Conn., USA ), I wonder whether that is a result of the 1958 name change. The 1950 alarm clock I have says "The E. Ingraham Company, Bristol, Conn., USA ." That may making too much out a little thing, however.

According to a website I read that stated the complete history of Ingraham said the McGraw-Edison Buyout happened in the 1950s, not the 1960s, and that immediately after McGraw-Edison Bought out Ingraham they stopped making windup clocks and switched over to Electric movements (at least on wall and mantle clocks.)

As for my clock, the movement in it doesn't look anything like a 1950s or 1960s windup alarm clock movement, I've seen and owned many 1950s and 1960s windup alarm clock movements, and by that time most windup alarm clocks had some plastic parts in them, mine is all brass, and no plastic parts, the only plastic in my clock is the base pedestal.

 

[tracerjack]

With your estimate of 1920-1930, I would not expect to see a plastic base. Looking at the style of the dial and hands, I see 1940- early 50s. But, that’s just my guess. Regardless of the date, it’s a very attractive alarm clock with the dark dial and cream colored numbers.

 

[Steven Thornberry]

According to a website I read that stated the complete history of Ingraham said the McGraw-Edison Buyout happened in the 1950s, not the 1960s, and that immediately after McGraw-Edison Bought out Ingraham they stopped making windup clocks and switched over to Electric movements (at least on wall and mantle clocks.)

What is the website? I was basing my information on Chris Bailey's introduction to Tran Duy Ly's book on Ingraham clocks, but I would like to see the other side.

 

[captainclock]

With your estimate of 1920-1930, I would not expect to see a plastic base. Looking at the style of the dial and hands, I see 1940- early 50s. But, that’s just my guess. Regardless of the date, it’s a very attractive alarm clock with the dark dial and cream colored numbers.

Well I did put a question mark after "1920s" in my title saying that it was just a guess. But even 1940s sounds more reasonable for a date than 1960s because like I said the overall construction of the clock (and the overall heft of the clock) suggests no later than late 1940s or early 1950s.
And I agree the style of the clock and the 8-day movement attracted me to the clock because I've not seen very many 8-day alarm clocks before.

 

[JTD]

I said the overall construction of the clock (and the overall heft of the clock) suggests no later than late 1940s or early 1950s.

Which is exactly what I suggested in post #2 above.

JTD

 

[captainclock]

What is the website? I was basing my information on Chris Bailey's introduction to Tran Duy Ly's book on Ingraham clocks, but I would like to see the other side.

Sorry, you were right the website I cited which is Antique Clock Guy also said 1967 for the acquisition of Ingraham by McGraw-Edision, I just remembered it wrong because I was trying to go by memory, and the dates I was recalling was McGraw-Edison's other acquisitions around that time which included Toastmaster, Bersted, and Eskimo (which were major American Fan and small Appliance Manufacturers from that time period that were unfortunately gobbled up by McGraw-Edison.)

So I apologize for the mistake.

 

[captainclock]

Which is exactly what I suggested in post #2 above.

JTD

OK, somehow I missed that, I was mainly trying to point out that this clock construction wise reminds me of the construction of the Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Alarm Clocks from the late 1940s and early 1950s (that's why I wrote a (?) after the 1920s because I know some companies were making clocks this style in the 1920s but they were all metal (no plastic whatsoever not even on the base which this one has plastic on the base or possibly bakelite) which is how the Westclox alarm clocks from the late 1940s and early 1950s looked, which after I thought about it more, the more that seemed to make sense.

 

[tracerjack]

I am not expert in American clocks, but I don't think your alarm clock is as old as you state. I would think this may be from 1940s, even 50s.

But I may well be wrong, others may be able to say more accurately.

JTD

I missed this #2 post when reading the thread. I agree with your dating. I’m not an expert either, but when you have looked at thousands of clocks, there is a definite feeling to the different time periods.

 

[JTD]

when you have looked at thousands of clocks, there is a definite feeling to the different time periods.

That's exactly right!

JTD

 

[Levi Hutchins]

That's exactly right!

JTD

Corroborating your dating, there is a very similar clock now on Ebay in the U.S. that states "Time Period Manufactured: 1950-1959."