Please Help ID This Clock Confused Electric Dogpatch Antique

[JoyF]

Appears to be a very interesting clock. When you plug it in, you have to turn the start knob in rear to get it to start running. The rear start knob then continues to spin as clock runs. It only makes a very low hum as it runs. Any ideas as to age and origin? A label appears to be missing on rear. Thanks!

 

[JoyF]

More pictures.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

The early electric clocks were spin start until they started
to use the shade pole clocks that self start.
If the wiring is brittle it should be replaced. Use especial
care to not stress the terminals of the coil or you could
break the fine coil windings.
I don't know my early electric clocks to tell you who made it.
Tinker Dwight

 

[JoyF]

Thanks.

On the front, it says "Confused Electric" and "Dogpatch Time."

 

[JTD]

I almost believe that I see the curly GE logo of General Electric hidden behind the hand arbor, between the words 'Confused' and 'Electric'.

Anyone else see it too?

JTD

 

[harold bain]

With that dial, I suppose it is supposed to run backwards.

 

[Jeremy Woodoff]

It is clearly an old clock with a new dial, the "Confused Electric" being a take-off on "General Electric." I believe these spin-to-start movements will run backwards or forwards, depending on the direction of spin you give them. Thus, it's easy to make a backwards dial clock from them.

 

[JoyF]

Behind the hand arbor is either "CE" or "GE" I would guess.

I did wonder about the dial. Should I try to run the clock backwards?

Thanks

 

[JTD]

Yes, it runs backwards.

JTD

 

[George Nelson]

Hmmm... I had one spin-to-start clock built into a lamp base (factory made this way). If I spun it the wrong way, nothing happened. If spun the right way (clockwise, of course), she started right up. Perhaps movements were made both ways?

George

 

[stewey]

These type of clocks are often referred to a 'barber-shop' clocks. They were placed on the wall behind the customers so that they could see the 'real' time in the image in the mirror facing them. Perhaps the red and white colours of this clock are supposed to represent the red and white stripes of a barber-pole.

 

[JoyF]

It does run backwards, that's for sure. It'll run either way.

So is the general consensus that the dial is newer?

Also, most likely clock is GE? The hour and minute hands are shaped identical to the hands on my old GE Royal Crown clock.

 

[stewey]

JoyF, what makes you think that the dial is not original? It does have the 'GE' logo, and perhaps 'Confused Electric' and 'Dogpatch Time' were factory added whimsical notations.

 

[THTanner]

Yes - these are sometimes called a "Barbershop Clock" Sitting in the chair and looking in the mirror, the clock behind you then is readable, and is supposed to run backwards. I recently tried to find a motor for one. Any source on these older motors that could run backwards?

With that dial, I suppose it is supposed to run backwards.

 

[stewey]

Some of these products are available in both clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation: http://www.hansen-motor.com/product/ac/600Series-Synchron-A-D-mount/

 

[THTanner]

Yes - but is there a source of the older ones - repaired or NOS? The owner of this clock insists on keeping it as original as possible and does not want a new motor. The winding is fired in his and I am not up to a rewind job.

Some of these products are available in both clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation: http://www.hansen-motor.com/product/ac/600Series-Synchron-A-D-mount/

 

[harold bain]

Ebay, if you are prepared to wait til one shows up. You may find a shop equipped to rebuild/rewire the motor. Try your local electric motor rebuilder and see if he is equipped to do this.

 

[THTanner]

I have a search set up on eBay for that. It has turned up 4 nice old working motors that all run forward so far - three self starting and one you have to spin. So I bought three of them to keep on hand and have used one so far. I don't know where all these old clocks are coming from around here. And it is quite frustrating when the customer insists on "keeping it original" when it isn't certain that is original anyway.

Ebay, if you are prepared to wait til one shows up. You may find a shop equipped to rebuild/rewire the motor. Try your local electric motor rebuilder and see if he is equipped to do this.

 

[harold bain]

On the older motors, there is a "spring" thingy that prevents it from starting in the wrong direction by kicking it back the way it was intended to run

 

[THTanner]

Hmmmm - can you flip the spring thingy to reverse them?

On the older motors, there is a "spring" thingy that prevents it from starting in the wrong direction by kicking it back the way it was intended to run

 

[harold bain]

Not easily, but theoretically, yes.

 

[JoyF]

Someone earlier in the thread had said that it was clearly an old clock with a newer dial.

It's a very unique clock to me, and I didn't really know what to make of it. That's why I posted it here! I'm listening and learning! Thanks to all.

JoyF, what makes you think that the dial is not original? It does have the 'GE' logo, and perhaps 'Confused Electric' and 'Dogpatch Time' were factory added whimsical notations.

 

[stewey]

I don't know much about these clock either; but, to me, the dial sort of 'looks' original. I realize that Jeremy stated that it is "...clearly an old clock with a new dial". Perhaps if he could explain how he reached that conclusion, we would all learn a little more.

 

[JoyF]

Yes, I'd like to know.

I don't know much about these clock either; but, to me, the dial sort of 'looks' original. I realize that Jeremy stated that it is "...clearly an old clock with a new dial". Perhaps if he could explain how he reached that conclusion, we would all learn a little more.

 

[Jeremy Woodoff]

I based my assessment of old clock with new dial on a few things. From the back, both the movement and case clearly look old and worn. The dial looks to be in much better condition, though it could of course be that way because it's protected under glass. However, I do not believe an early to mid-20th century clock company would have been named, or would have named their clock, "Confused Electric." Also, naming a clock model "Dogpatch Time" seems like a much more recent attempt at humor. Finally, the artwork on the dial is strange. I don't think a legitimate historic clock company would have had their logo hidden under the hand boss, and the way the numerals are designed and placed is odd, amateurish, and unbalanced. Also, the VIII is rendered as IIX. Certainly there were occasional dials that took unusual form or tried to be stylish in an exaggerated way, but not like this, in my opinion.

 

[THTanner]

This might help some. "Like many cartoonists, Capp made extensive use of assistants (notably Andy Amato, Harvey Curtis, Walter Johnson and Frank Frazetta). During the extended peak of the strip, the workload grew to include advertising, merchandising, promotional work, public service comics and other specialty work—in addition to the regular six dailies and one Sunday strip per week. From the early 1940s to the late 1950s, there were scores of Sunday strip-style magazine ads for Cream of Wheat using the Abner characters, and in the 1950s, Fearless Fosdick became a spokesman for Wildroot Cream-Oil hair tonic in a series of daily strip-style print ads. The characters also sold chainsaws, underwear, ties, detergent, candy, soft drinks—including a licensed version of Capp's moonshine creation, Kickapoo Joy Juice—and General Electric and Procter & Gamble products, all requiring special artwork."

This is from the Wikipedia discussion of Dogpatch and Lil' Abner from the 50s. Apparently a lot of licensing and production items were used for advertising.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capp

I based my assessment of old clock with new dial on a few things. From the back, both the movement and case clearly look old and worn. The dial looks to be in much better condition, though it could of course be that way because it's protected under glass. However, I do not believe an early to mid-20th century clock company would have been named, or would have named their clock, "Confused Electric." Also, naming a clock model "Dogpatch Time" seems like a much more recent attempt at humor. Finally, the artwork on the dial is strange. I don't think a legitimate historic clock company would have had their logo hidden under the hand boss, and the way the numerals are designed and placed is odd, amateurish, and unbalanced. Also, the VIII is rendered as IIX. Certainly there were occasional dials that took unusual form or tried to be stylish in an exaggerated way, but not like this, in my opinion.

 

[Steven Thornberry]

Whether the dial is original to the case and movement or not, I cannot say. The dial, however, is the purest whimsy, as stewey suggested (though I'm not certain it is a GE logo under the hand boss). If it runs backwards (counter clockwise) as it may be intended, you would see a confusing and (again) whimsical array of Roman numerals and quasi Roman numerals. Even clockwise, the numerals are silly. All in all, the clock is very appropriate to Li'l Abner and his Dogpatch entourage. Al Capp drew L'il Abner from 1934 to 1977.

 

[stewey]

Oh my, oh my! This clock is sure gettin' ter be purty interestin', dagnab it Some very interesting comments.

 

[JoyF]

Wow! Yes, this is getting interesting. I had researched the "dogpatch" term a bit and saw that it could be connected with L'il Abner. There's also an area in CA called Dogpatch.

 

[JoyF]

Just for the record...not knowing much about L'il Abner, I've investigated it some more, and as a Christian found it to be something I'd rather not associate my clock with. So, whether or not it is connected to L'il Abner, for me it will just be an interesting, old wall clock.

 

[stewey]

Yes, just enjoy the physicality of the clock, and ignore any negative connotations it might have.

 

[Tinker Dwight]

You don't have to replace the entire movement to replace the coil.
Just swap the coil.
Different manufactures had different shaped coils but the strength of the
coils are all about the same for the same voltage.
Never connect a coil to the voltage without the pole pieces in it.
Tinker Dwight