Style 2 Big Ben and Baby Ben advertisement from 1929


Westclox History at ClockHistory.com

The first advertisement for Westclox baby Ben dated 1915

The History of Westclox Big Ben, Baby Ben and Related Clocks

The Big Ben alarm clock was first sold in 1909 and has evolved through many case style and movement changes. The Baby Ben was first sold in 1910 and has evolved in a similar way.

The pictures below illustrate the 10 “mainstream” case styles of windup Big and Baby Bens and the years in which they were made. Style 1 was the first model made and style 10 is the last model. To identify a Ben, find out which of the case styles it matches. Pay particular attention to the shapes of the cases since various case colors were available in styles 2 through 10, and the dial on your clock might be different. For more exact dating, look on the movement - a date will be found on almost any Big Ben or Baby Ben made up until mid-1970's. The Big and Baby Bens up through style 9 were made in USA (and some some other countries). The style 10 is made in China. In 2001, General Time (owner of Westclox) decal red bankruptcy and sold the Westclox name to Salton, Inc. Style 10 Bens are available online from Salton. and Alarm Clocks Online.

Reproductions of some of the earlier styles are being made in China.

Also shown below are some relatives of the Bens: Clock of Tomorrow, Dura Case (LaSalle series) , and the Seth Thomas “Baby Bens”.

Style 1 Big Ben (leg model)
baby Ben with two inch movement
Style 2 Ben in pink crackle finish case.
Style 3 Ben
Big Ben Style 1
1909 - 1918
Big Ben Style 1a
1918 - 1935
(style 1 has three screws through the front, style 1a does not)
Baby Ben Style 1
1912 - 1930

Baby Ben with 2 Inch Movement
1910 - 1912

Style 2 Big Ben
and Baby Ben
Nickel finish 1927 - 1932
Crackle finish 1928 - 1930
Solid finish 1930 - 1932

Style 3
(concave curves on base)
Big Ben Style 3
Chime alarm
1931 - 1934
Baby Ben Style 3
1932 - 1934
Style 4 Ben
Style 5 Ben
Style 6 Ben
Style 7 Ben
Style 4
(convex curves on base)
Big Ben Style 4
Chime alarm

1934 - 1939
Big Ben Style 4a
Loud Alarm

1935 - 1939
Baby Ben Style 4
1934 - 1939
Style 5

Big Ben Style 5 Chime Alarm
1939 - 1949
Big Ben Style 5a Loud Alarm
1939 - 1946
Big Ben Style 5 Loud Alarm
1946 - 1949
Baby Ben Style 5
1939 - 1949
(Style 5 is thinner than style 5a)

Style 6 Big Ben
and Baby Ben
1949 - 1956
Style 7 Big Ben
and Baby Ben

1956 - 1964
Style 8 Ben
Style 9 Ben
Style 10 Ben
 
Style 8 Big Ben
and Baby Ben

1964 - 1981
Style 9 Big Ben and Baby Ben
1980 - 2000
Style 10 Big Ben and Baby Ben
Starting in 2001
Made in China
 
George Kern designed the style 1 Big Ben including the case. The style 2 Ben case was designed by August Schierholtz, and Max Schlenker was responsible for the design of the base. The style 3, 5 and 6 Ben cases were designed by Henry Dreyfuss. The style 4 is a modification of style 3 and may also have been designed by Dreyfuss. The Style 7, 8 and 9 Ben cases and the Clock of Tomorrow case were designed by Ellworth Danz.
Westclox Clock of Tomorrow
Clock of Tomorrow 1955 - 1959
Made with white case and white dial, and black case with black dial
 
Non-luminous Westclox (LaSalle) Dura Case series
Non-luminous Dura Case series 1930 - 1934
 
Non-luminous Westclox (LaSalle) Dura Case series
Luminous Dura Case Series 1931 - 1934

 

Seth Thomas “Baby Bens”

These clocks are labeled Seth Thomas on the dial and use the same movement as the Westclox Baby Ben alarm clock. They were made from the 1930’s through the 1950’s. Here are some examples. For larger photos and more details, see our Seth Thomas Baby Ben web page.

Severn alarm clock by Seth Thomas.
Wood cased alarm clock by Seth Thomas.
Wood cased alarm clock by Seth Thomas.
Catalin plastic cased alarm clock by Seth Thomas.
Deft 3 by Seth Thomas. Made in 1947. Wood case.
Deft 4 by Seth Thomas dated April 8, 1950. Leather case.
Seth Thomas Baby Ben dagted May 5, 1939
Cort by Seth Thomas
 

Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Advertising History

An overview of the history of the Big Ben and Baby Ben alarm clocks using original magazine advertisements starting with the September 24, 1910 Saturday Evening Post. This series of ads shows you the various styles of Bens that were made.

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