Westclox is an American brand of

clock A clock or chronometer is a device that measures and displays time. The clock is one of the oldest Invention, human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month, a ...

s and

alarm clock An alarm clock or alarm is a clock that is designed to alert an individual or group of people at a specified time. The primary function of these clocks is to awaken people from their night's sleep or short naps; they can sometimes be used for o ...

s owned by Nyl Holdings. The company's historic plant is located in

Peru, Illinois Peru is a city in LaSalle and Bureau counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,896 at the 2020 census, down from 10,295 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Peru and its twin city, La ...

Early history as United Clock Company

Charles Stahlberg and others from

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Waterbury had a population of 114,403 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census. The city is southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury i ...

, formed the "United Clock Company" in 1885, in

, intending to manufacture clocks based on a technological innovation by Stahlberg. Stahlberg patented this innovation on September 22, 1885, (US patent #326,602) which involved the use of molded lead alloy movement plates with inset brass bushings as well as lead alloy gear assemblies. Shortly after receiving the 1885 patent, United Clock Company went bankrupt, and there are no known surviving examples of the patented clock.

Bankruptcies, reorganizations, and mergers

In 1887, the company reorganized under the new name Western Clock Company and again went bankrupt, and F. W. Matthiessen reorganized it in 1888 as the Western Clock Manufacturing Company. In 1908, the company received a patent for the "Big Ben"

movement. This movement has a "bell-back" design, meaning that the bell mechanism is integral to the clock's case. The company first brought the Big Ben to market in 1909. The company's name was shortened to "Western Clock Company" in 1912. In 1910, the Big Ben became the first alarm clock advertised nationally, with ads placed in the
Saturday Evening Post
'. The modern trademark of the company, "Westclox," first appeared on the back of Big Ben alarm clocks from 1910 to 1917. The name appeared on Big Ben dials as early as 1911. The company officially registered this trademark on January 18, 1916. In 1919, Western Clock Co., Ltd., was incorporated. Twelve years later, in 1931, the company merged with the

Seth Thomas Clock Company The Seth Thomas Clock Company was founded by Seth Thomas in Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut, and began producing clocks in 1813. It was incorporated as the "Seth Thomas Clock Company" in 1853. Plymouth Hollow, a part of the town of Plymouth, was i ...

, with both companies becoming divisions of General Time Corporation. The Westclox unit became known as "Westclox Division of General Time Corporation" in 1936. In 1938, Westclox introduced its first portable travel alarm clock to the market.

World War II wartime efforts

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Westclox and other General Time Corporation subsidiaries produced aviation instrumentation and control components,

compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with No ...

es for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, and clocks for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. Westclox became a major manufacturer of

fuze In military munitions, a fuze (sometimes fuse) is the part of the device that initiates its function. In some applications, such as torpedoes, a fuze may be identified by function as the exploder. The relative complexity of even the earliest fu ...

s for military ordnance. Clocks for the civilian market stopped production in 1942. Beginning in 1943, Westclox and other companies introduced clocks for the civilian market that used much less brass than previously. Clocks were labeled as "Waralarm" by Westclox and only referenced city of origin; no mention of maker appeared. Other clock companies also produced clocks that were labeled "War Alarm", such as Gilbert and Telechron. Price was set by the Office of Price Management at $1.65. Production of civilian models resumed in 1946.

Watches

The Westclox company was a major manufacturer of

dollar watch A dollar watch was a pocket watch or later, a wristwatch, that sold for about one US dollar. History of development Attempts to make a watch that could be sold for as little as a dollar began in the 1870s. By 1880, the Waterbury Watch Company, ...

es. It started production of an inexpensive, back-winding pocket watch in 1899, which was intended to be affordable to any working person. The company continued to produce cheap pocket watches into the 1990s.

Developments

In 1959, Westclox introduced and patented its "drowse" alarm, which was one of the first of its kind powered by electricity, which integrated what is now more commonly known as a "snooze" function. Talley Industries acquired General Time in 1968. Westclox introduced its first

quartz movement Quartz clocks and quartz watches are timepieces that use an electronic oscillator regulated by a quartz crystal to keep time. The crystal oscillator, controlled by the resonant mechanical vibrations of the quartz crystal, creates a signal with ...

in 1972. In 1988, the management of Talley Industries purchased General Time from the company. Another bankruptcy shortly followed, and Salton, Inc. acquired the "Westclox", "Big Ben", and "

Spartus Spartus Corporation was an American consumer electronics manufacturer originally based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded as the Utility Manufacturing Company in 1934, it produced a wide variety of products, including wall clocks, alarm clocks, electr ...

" trademarks in 2001. Westclox wall clock

In October 2007, Salton sold its entire time products business, including the Westclox and Ingraham trademarks, to NYL Holdings LLC.

2012 New Year's Fire

In the early morning of January 1, 2012, a fire broke out at the Westclox factory in Peru, Illinois. The fire destroyed about 25% of the structure. Two teens were charged with aggravated arson; Steven M. Gallacher (then 17) of

LaSalle, Illinois LaSalle or La Salle is a city in LaSalle County, Illinois, United States, located at the intersection of Interstates 39 and 80. It is part of the Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area. Originally platted in 1837 over , the city's boundaries ...

, and an unidentified minor (then 16). The fire required firefighters and police from 20 surrounding municipalities to extinguish. One firefighter, LaSalle fireman Steve Smith, sustained a career-ending injury when a firehose attached to a hydrant popped loose and the metal coupling on the end hit him in the leg. Gallacher was convicted of aggravated arson on October 11, 2012, with a sentence of 6–30 years without the possibility of parole. Gallacher's sentence of aggravated arson was the direct result of the fire plus Smith's injury.

Early history as United Clock Company

Bankruptcies, reorganizations, and mergers

World War II wartime efforts

Watches

Developments

2012 New Year's Fire

See also