Jefferson "Golden Hour" Mystery Clock

Jefferson "Golden Hour" Clock

The "Golden Hour" clock made by the Jefferson Electric Company of Bellwood, IL in the mid-1950's is the most often seen of the various mystery clocks and certainly one of the best looking.  

The single glass disk has a toothed metal rim that is driven by a motor in the base.  The minute hand rotates with this disk.  A gear train drives the hour hand.  Crucial to making this system to work without a separate, immobile mount for the gear train is a small weight behind the glass.  When new, this system worked well, but with wear and dirt the weight tends to follow the minute hand around until friction is overcome, and the hour hand will jump around wildly, and lose or gain hours, as it sees fit.

Golden Hour clocks used radioactive radium paint on the hands and numerals.

1956 Jefferson Clock Catalog Entry

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