by Roger Russell
Copyright
1996-2004 by Roger Russell
All rights reserved
No portion of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part
without written permission of the author.
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These
are NOT In fact, they aren't clocks at all. They're just two-dimensional images creating the illusion of clocks. |
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Mystery Clock Solved Here's a recent discovery found in an old antique shop on a back street
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Golden Hour In the Movies
Here's a fun game. How many different
movies or TV shows have you seen with a Golden Hour clock in the background?
Better yet, have you seen any of the other
The
Long Walk Home 1990 with Sissy Spacek and Whoopi Goldberg
Funny Golden Hour Ads
How many Golden Hour clock ads have we seen on ebay with strange descriptions? Faced with the task of describing an unfamiliar clock, I think the sellers have been very creative in making an explanation about how the clock works and what it is made of. Although far from accurate, it does make some interesting and imaginative advertising. It also looks like some sellers have copied a few of these descriptions from other sellers. I have preserved them as they appeared, including the spelling.
Being in a position of knowledge about the Golden Hour clocks, we know it
has no ball bearings or magnets that make the hands turn. We also know that the
hour hand must be loose or it won't turn properly. We know if you can set the
time by turning the glass that the glass has come unglued from the outer gear
ring or the motor gears are stripped. After having a chemical analysis made, we
know the clock is not made of brass but a zinc alloy. We know from
I believe this is called a centrifugal
clock - It has "Magic Hands". It is called the
Vintage Golden Hour electric clock made by the Jefferson Clock Co. in the 1950's. This is an original Golden Hour clock.
called the GOLDEN HOUR clock .. great
The motor runs and the clock seems to work fine, but the hour hand may need some adjustment because if touched it just freefalls around the dial. If you don't touch it it will move correctly.
THE CLUE IS: The outer rim moves very very slowly to the point no one can see it move as time ticks on. The hands never move. It is just an amazing vintage clock.
Brass and glass electric clock that runs by magnets. It was made by JEFFERSON ELECTRIC COMPANY in Bellwood, Illinois named the GOLDEN HOUR clock catalog no. 580-101. I have not cleaned the clock, it is brushed brass with a few discoloration marks.
The minute hand works perfectly, however the hour hand seems to dangle. It is real close to being perfect.
This clock was made by the
It runs beautifully, my husband set it and let it run for a couple of months.in that time, it only lost 2 minutes, not bad! He said when you set it, to be sure and have the drop on the backside down, otherwise it will pull the hour hand to a different position. As to why it even runs at all, we are baffled...just one of those " gee, I wonder how that works" clocks.
The hour hand is mounted on a glass disc that rotates every 12 hours. The minute hand is mounted on a hidden gearbox that uses gravity to help rotate the hand.
It is made out of brass and the face is made out of glass.
THE HOUR
THIS MYSTERY CLOCK SHOWS THE HOUR BY THE GLASS ROTATING INSTEAD OF THE HANDS.
it is a rare clock becouse the glass moves not the hands .thay are hard to find. it is an original it ha the red burgundy botton it has a brass coating on it
Stands 9" high, 7-1/2" in diameter, works, hands are loose though, just need to be tightened.
Runs by a magnet going around the circle, pulling the hands by magnetic force! Really interesting! GLASS clock face is mint, BRASS body is near mint.
Numbers and lines have white enamel painted centers. Hands are centered on glass face, with no visable means of movement. I believe that they work on a magnetic field created when clock is plugged in, at least that is what I have been told. The clock is set by turning the front side pointed knob while clock is plugged in. This will adjust the hour hand also.
The hour hand is mounted on a glass disc that rotates every 12 hours. The minute hand is mounted on a hidden gearbox that uses gravity to help rotate the hand.
The finish is nice and shiny, a magnet does not stick, so believed to be brass,...
An interesting antique. An Art Deco Clock titled "Golden Hour"
from the Jefferson Electric Clock Co.
This auction is for what I have seen called a magic clock, as the arms seem to float on a glass face, and rotates with no visible electrical connection. The finish is nice and shiny, a magnet does not stick, so believed to be brass,
A kind ebayer explained to me that the glass turns on this clock, and the balance on the back counterbalences to keep the time.
Clear glass face, solid brass base. I am told that this is a kind of magic clock- the hands do not move by themselves, but the actual face of the clock does move and tells the hands where to go.
It is embossed on the bottom
Everything is there but the hour hand is loose and it isn't working at the moment. The glass is in excellent condition. I am not a clock person so I don't know what is required to get it going again.
The metal hands have no mechanical contact with the metal base which houses the motor.
The clock works but the gears which rotate the glass plates need tightening so the clock is being sold AS IS.
The clear glass dial is surrounded by a circular gold metal band, with the numerals on the band. The metal band has no mechanical contact with the metal base.
It is a novelty clock because it has no motors or electricity attached to the clock hands. it has an electro magnetic force around the glass clock face that pulls the clock hands to position.
This clock is made of Brass tone Aluminum and has a very DECO Look
It is brushed brass and the hands are mounted on glass with the numbers on the outer brass rim.
Magnatic Art Deco clock
Jefferson Golden Hour Electric Clock that appears to have a movement with no visible power source but the hands move by means of the glass dial turning on rollers situated in the base.
I am not positive, but I think the glass rotates, to run the clock. I had to rotate the glass to set it, so I am sure this is the case.
ITS ELECTRIC,BUT THE HANDS
The clock body is in golden brushed metal (aluminum or stainless steel).
The glass dial has the hands centered and move with gravity. As the plug-in electric movement runs, it forwards the glass clockwise, and the hands move along with the movement of the glass. Nice effect.
This is a wonderful example of true ingenuity in that there is a special gear where the 2 hands meet and this "drives" the hands to move. In order to set the time once the clock is plugged in, you simply move the hand that faces the front, you do not do anything to the hand in the back. It has been plugged in here for a month and found to keep time perfectly.. It stands 9" tall and 7 1/4" across. There is no damage of any kind. The outer edge and bottom is made of a brass plated alloy and the face is glass.
Hands seem suspended in air, on clear glass background. No wires or workings. Move by Magnetic pulse from inside unit base.
This is a example of a nice coversation piece that will have your friends
asking HOW DOES THAT
Brass not corroded but somewhat dirty and I don't really know how to clean it. Keeps pretty good time - a couple of minutes off a week - really just a couple -don't remember which way.
Nice
This is a very neat old deco clock that creates a magnetic field to make the hands of the clock to move!
the minute hand seems to work fine but the hour hand does not seem to move and when you try to set it it seems loose maybe if you are handy with these things it can be fixed up
Nice
i don't know how to set it--i guess you wait until the time it shows and then plug it in
the hands are suspended in mid glass with their own rachet system to keep time,very deco
Vintage
There are no wires visible to power the clock motor.
Refereed to as the "mystery clock" because there isn't any electricity to the hour hand nor the minute hand.
The term mystery applies since there is no electricity going to the hour and minute hand.
Great working Johnson 'Golden Hour' time piece. Brass base has been polished.
Hands move by counter balance. Brass frame, glass dial and hand movement.
This clock is ran by an intregate balance system and the balance is on the little hand in the back.
Art Deco style
Second hand works fine - I can't figure out how to set the hour hand although it did move - Case has minor scratches, but is not tarnished.
I believe they called the magic clock. The glass is turned in the frame by an electromagnetic field if memory serves me correctly. The hands are counterbalanced so that they keep synonymous time.
This is a beautiful clock, in working condition,it is very unusual, the rim rotates to give the time and the hands are counter balanced, one on each side of the glass, the hands and glass are not moved by the clock, it has dust and grime on it from use, I did not want to clean it as I may damage it, when I wipe away the dust it has a silver colour, I am not sure if that is the finish coming off or it is the natural colour.
It appears to have gold metal exterior frame surrounding a suspended glass face of clock, so how does it work?? AHAH...gotchya, see how and why it is called a MYSTERY CLOCK?? I believe it is magnetic fields or ???
….it seemed like the center piece where all the gears and hands screw together had become loosened, perhaps from years of lying deep in the blanket chest full of crap where i found it.
The motor works, the hands don't move. I shrug, it's a mystery.
Hour hand moves on a hidden conveyer Belt.
The motor runs, but the hands will not turn - I think there is a magnet in the rim that pulls the hands along, and it must be stuck or need replaced-you clock people will know.
Dont know the age of this clock but the base is Bakelite--made by Jefferson Clock company with the "magic" movement, works most of the time but does get stuck, likely needs a tune up and cleaning--the brass is fading/tarnishing in places but is in very nice shape, considering it's age
THIS IS A FABULOUS CLOCK MADE ABOUT 50 YEARS
AGO BY THE "JEFFERSON CLOCK COMPANY, BELLWOOD , ILLINOIS
I couldn't figure out how to set it, other than to just push the minute hand around, (and I was afraid this might damage it), so I just plugged it in when the actual time matched that on the face
…ENABLES THE COMPLEX PRECISELY GEARED SELF
CONTAINED HANDS IN THE CENTER TO KEEP TIME BY GRAVITY
ALONE.WHAT HAS MADE THIS A RARE COLLECTIBLE IS THAT THERE IS NO PHYSICAL
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MOTOR AND CENTER
ASSEMBLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GLASS.
THEY CALL IT A
MYSTERY CLOCK BECAUSE IT IS HARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT WORKS. THE BIG HAND IS ON THE FACE SIDE OF THE GLASS AND THE LITTLE HAND ON THE OTHER. THE CLOCK
REPAIR GUY WHO I BOUGHT IT FROM SAID HE COULDNT REALLY FIGURE IT OUT. HE SAID THE GLASS IS
WHAT MOVES.
the minute and hour hands
seem to be suspended in the center of the clock. More unusual - the time
is set by moving the glass plate.
IN THE CENTER IS A KNOB THAT YOU TURN TO ADJUST THE TENSION ON THE
HANDS, THAT SLOWS DOWN OR SPEEDS UP THE HANDS, YOU ADJUST IT TO KEEP THE TIME.
WE USED IT EVERYDAY FOR 3 YEARS AND THEN PUT IT
IN STORAGE!!!
There is a
secret, of course - a clear glass face that rotates by a ratcheting system.
Here is a great vintage
hard to find Jefferson Mystery clock. What makes these
so cool is that you cant see any of the lock parts as the arms move with magnets. This clock is in great
working order with no damage and had the bakelite
bottom with the Jefferson mystery clock on the bottom of the clock.
This is called a centrifugal clock - It has
"Magic Hands". It is called the
Made by the Jefferson Electric Clock Co. It is called the "Golden Hour Clock". It is approximately 9" x 7-1/2" and is made out of gold plated metal and glass. The frame is gold plated metal and the circular part is glass which is weighted - apparently the hands do not move but the glass has a weight on it which moves the minute hand.
The clock shows much use on the
brassware, otherwise it is in good cosmetic condition. The clock was plugged in
for a total time of 5 minutes. The second hand did move and we believe this to
be in working order.
Motors are running, but hands may have to
be re-wired.
Other Jefferson Clocks
It is heavy. Use it for a clock/door stop. I don't know who Jefferson 500 is. I HAVE heard of Jefferson Airplane....and there is that propeller like thing on the bottom of this....
Jefferson "500" Electric Clock. The clock
weighs 2 3/4 pounds and the Jefferson Lamp
Company did not make throw away products.
Mastercrafters Fantasy Clock
Rectangle Glass
Dial is transparent and applied with gold colored Hour and Minute Hands. Gold
colored Frame Bezel engraved with white Hour Numerals and Markers.
The Hands run by
Movement through invisible electric wire placed
in the Glass. Fancy decorated Base of the
Clock made of gold tone metal.
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About This Site |
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More text and pictures about Jefferson will be added as my research continues. Any comments, corrections, or additions are welcome. |
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All
contents are copyright 1998-2004 |