Antique American Clocks                      January 2020

507.    $50

Hammond Clock Co. “Gregory” electric calendar clock, 1928-1941.  This is the most common Hammond clock, commonly called “the skyscraper”.  You can find it in several colors; here it is in a clean and unblemished black Bakelite case with a silver dial, 6.5 inches tall.  Note that the calendar at the bottom advances automatically but must be reset at the start of each month.  Some of the lettering on the calendar rollers is a bit smeared.  All Hammond clocks are “spin-starts”, meaning you have to spin a knob on the back to start them after a power loss.  While some would say that is a disadvantage, Laurens Hammond thought it was an advantage as people would not be misled by a clock that had stopped and restarted.  Telechron motors restarted automatically, and a red dot on the dial would alert the owner that the clock had stopped.  That’s why Telechron made clocks until 1992, while Hammond achieved greater and more lasting success with the Hammond electric organ, based on the same synchronous electric motor.  This clock has the original cord and plug and is running, keeping time, and the calendar is advancing. $75-$150.