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.