Antique and Vintage Clocks

A diminutive size, this clock was made around 1930 just a couple of years before the Waterbury Clock Company was placed in receivership. It is a solid oak case measuring 19 inches long by 12 inches wide, with a paper dial marked Waterbury, a black and gold pendulum aperture, and 8-day time-only movement. The bottom of the dial says, ” Made in the USA by Waterbury Clock Company”, Connecticut.

While the clock is a strong runner there are obvious issues concerning the paper dial and the lack of a brass bezel. The dial plate does not have to be changed out but the clock is in need of a brass bezel, hinge and convex glass. Although the style might be slightly different on a replacement bezel, it is clearly required to complete the look. I have decided to retain the paper dial as an exact replacement is impossible or so I have found so far in my research. Half of the paper dial has become unglued from the dial pan. Two-sided tape in three locations was the fix. I may touch up the numbers 7, 8, and 9. We`ll see.

The Waterbury Clock Company was incorporated in the city of Waterbury, Connecticut, on March 5, 1857. Up until the Great Depression Waterbury had been quite prosperous. But like so many companies, most of the profits lined the pockets of its Directors instead of being reinvested in new equipment and updated facilities thus hastening its rapid decline. In 1932 the company was bought and re-organized under the name Ingersoll-Waterbury.and in later years the company morphed into the Timex Corporation. If you peruse the Timex site today you will see a line of Timex watches called the Waterbury collection. Timex is certainly acknowledging a link to its past.

The instructions came with the clock and I smiled when I read them.  “The long hand is the minute hand and the short hand is the hour hand”.

A inexpensive acquisition and only a few dollars to add glass and a bezel to complete the clock.