Westclox Big Ben Style 7 Alarm Clock

Date Summary:

1956 - 1964

Characteristics:

Concentric alarm hand, plastic lens.

Style Information:

Made in black, white and bronze finish

The numerals were changed from radial to upright in 1958.

There are 10 Models of Westclox Big Ben Style 7 Alarm Clock in the database

Westclox Big Ben Style 7 Bronze Plain Electric
Bronze style 7 Big Ben electric alarm clock with brass trim. White non-luminous dial.
Dates made: 1956 - 1958
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 White Plain Electric
White style 7 Big Ben electric alarm clock with brass trim. Non-luminous dial.
Dates made: 1956 - 1958
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 White Luminous
Big Ben style 7 in white case with brass trim, luminous dial. Single key wind movment, plastic lens, concentric alarm hand.
Dates made: 1956 - 1964
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 White Plain
Big Ben style 7 in white case with brass trim. Single key wind movement, plastic lens, concentric alarm hand.
Dates made: 1956 - 1964
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 Black Luminous
Single key wind movment, plastic lens, concentric alarm hand. First ones have nickel bezel, then brass.
Dates made: 1956 - 1964
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 Black Plain
Single key wind movment, plastic lens, concentric alarm hand. First ones have nickel bezel, then brass.
Dates made: 1956 - 1964
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 Bronze Brown Luminous Electric
Bronze style 7 Big Ben electric alarm clock with brass trim. Brown luminous dial.
Dates made: 1956 - 1964
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 White Brown Luminous Electric
White style 7 Big Ben electric alarm clock with brass trim. Brown luminous dial.
Dates made: 1956 - 1964
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 White Gold Luminous Electric
White style 7 Big Ben electric alarm clock with brass trim. Gold luminous dial.
Dates made: 1960 - 1964
Westclox Big Ben Style 7 Bronze Gold Luminous
Bronze case, gold spun dial
Dates made: 1960 - 1964

Big Ben Style 7 Alarm Clock Variations

Ben Style 7 -> Dial Numerals
Ben Style 7 -> Hand Type
Ben Style 7 -> Lens Shape
Big Ben Style 7 -> Base
Big Ben Style 7 -> Base Cavity Number
Big Ben Style 7 -> Bezel Color
Big Ben Style 7 -> Hairspring Fastening to Stud

Big Ben Style 7 Alarm Clock History

The Big Ben style 7 was introduced in 1956. Ellworth Danz designed the case. No design patent was applied for because the patent attorney said it was “just another round clock”. This is the first Big Ben with concentric alarm indicator and a plastic lens.

The standard case colors are white with brass bezel and black with brass bezel (black Big Bens up through 1958 or 1959 have nickel bezels). Black cased clocks have either a non-luminous dial that is white with black numerals and a background pattern of small light blue dots, or a luminous dial which is black with luminous figures and a background pattern of blue dots. White cased clocks have either a non-luminous dial that is white with brown numerals and a background pattern of light blue dots, or a luminous dial that is brown with luminous numerals and a background pattern of dark brown dots.

The first style 7 clocks have radial numerals on the dial, and in 1958 they were changed to upright. The radial numeral dial U.S. Big Ben has “Big Ben” printed in script; the upright numeral dial U.S. Big Ben has “BIG BEN” printed in block letters. The bottom of the style 7 dials are simply marked “MADE IN U.S.A.” instead of the “MADE BY WESTCLOX, LA SALLE, ILL. U.S.A.” used on earlier style Bens.

A new movement was designed for the Big Ben style 7. It uses a single mainspring for both time and alarm. This movement has separate time and alarm set knobs.

A Big Ben style 7 in a bronze finish painted case and golden spun dial was made from 1960 - 1964.

The style 7 Big Ben Electric was from 1956 to 1964. These clocks use the Westclox M4, which was a more compact design than earlier motors.

Style 7 was discontinued in 1964.

The style 7 Big Ben windup was revived around 1976.

This late version can be identified as follows:

Some of these clocks are in boxes labeled “Special Big Ben Buy!” It has the aluminum movement that late style 8 Baby Bens use.

Style 5 Reproductions

A miniature of the style was made in 1997, with only 5,000 made. It has a quartz movement.

Pictures of the Westclox Big Ben Style 7 Alarm Clock:

References