Westclox was an American manufacturer and is a current brand of

clock A clock or a timepiece is a device used to measure and indicate time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month and t ...

s and alarm clocks. The company's historic plant is located in Peru, Illinois.

Early history as United Clock Company

Charles Stahlberg and others from

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

, formed the "United Clock Company" on December 5, 1885, in Peru, Illinois, 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" alarm clock 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

Seth Thomas Clock Company The Seth Thomas Clock Company was founded by Seth Thomas and began producing clocks in 1813. It was incorporated as the "Seth Thomas Clock Company" in 1853. The company manufactured clock movements for the Self Winding Clock Company from 1886 th ...

, 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, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, 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 wit ...

es for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, and clocks for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. From 1942 to 1945, Westclox ceased all production intended for domestic civilian sale and dedicated its production resources to the war effort. Westclox became a major manufacturer of fuzes for military ordnance.

Watches

The Westclox company was a major manufacturer of dollar watches. 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.

Late 20th-century 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. This crystal oscillator creates a signal with very precise frequency, so that quartz clocks and watches are at least a ...

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" and "Big Ben" 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

20120108 35 Westclox Factory Fire, Peru, Illinois

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 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 have grown ...

, 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.

References

External links

*{{HAER , survey=IL-83 , id=il0649 , title=Western Clock Company, Peru Factory
Clockhistory.com: History of Westclox

The Westclox Museum: Located in the old factory at Peru, Illinois, USA
Clock manufacturing companies of the United States Clock brands Manufacturing companies established in 1885 Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2001 1885 establishments in Illinois 2001 disestablishments in Illinois Buildings and structures in LaSalle County, Illinois Historic American Engineering Record in Illinois Peru, Illinois Defunct manufacturing companies based in Illinois