December 1, 2013
It’s hard to believe it’s December already! Planning ahead, since we’ll be closed January 1st for New Year’s Day, the next newsletter will be published on January 2nd. We’ll also be closed on December 25th for Christmas and closing at 2 p.m. on the 24th for Christmas Eve. Our only other special hours for this month is that since Bob won’t be at the store on Saturday the 7th, we’ll be closing at 5 p.m.
This month’s Recent Acquisitions include the three kitchen clocks shown. All are 8-day clocks that chime on the hour and half-hour. Two are by the Waterbury Clock Company and the other is by the Sessions Clock Company.
Almost every clock produced in America between 1800 and 1950 was made by E. Ingraham, New Haven Clock Co., Seth Thomas Clock Co., Waterbruy Clock Co., Sessions Clock Co., or E.N. Welch Co. The Waterbury Clock Co. was founded in 1857 in Waterbury, CT to make clocks with brass movements. Master clock maker Chauncey Jerome led the firm`s case making operation and his brother Noble set up the movement manufacturing line. It became the largest clock manufacturer in America by 1920, after major factory expansions in 1900 and 1915. Besides producing clocks, they manufactured a line of non-jeweled pocket watches for the mail order business of R.H. Ingersoll & Brother, which they acquired in 1922 when that company`s profitability had begun to slide. By the Depression era though, Waterbury`s profits began to suffer as well. As early as 1932, their primary factory began to fall into disuse and they nearly went bankrupt. They were saved from this only by reorganizing into the Ingersoll-Waterbury Company with the aid of substantial investor dollars. It was in this period that one of their most popular items came into being: the Mickey Mouse watch. They also added a line of electric clocks. During WWII, the Waterbury Clock Co. turned all its production facilities toward manufacturing war products. In 1944, the company changed hands and was renamed the United States Time Corporation. It was in this incarnation that they introduced the Timex watch shortly after the war. In 1969, they officially became the Timex Corporation which continues to operate in Middlebury, CT.
The Sessions Clock Co. operated in Forrestville, CT from January 9, 1903 to 1969. It was founded by William E. Sessions and some relatives who bought a huge interest in the E.N. Welch Co. Sessions’ father had operated a foundry in Bristol, CT, and that foundry had been producing cases for E.N. Welch. Before long, Sessions was making the movements, cases, dials, art, and castings that went into their mechanical clocks. Between 1903 and 1933, Sessions made 52 different varieties of clocks. Collectors especially prize the advertiser clocks made in this period that feature the logo of companies that commissioned the design. By the 1930`s, Sessions Clock Co. was producing electric clocks and timers along with the more traditional mechanical brass ones. By WWII, the Sessions W model, which was electric, was frequently used by many casting companies for their clocks. And by the 1950`s, Sessions was even making timers for TVs! The company was purchased by Bristol Instrument Company in 1960, which ran it until 1969.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this clock history and that you have a wonderful holiday season!
Lynne & Bob McCann