The style 2 Baby Ben was put into production around mid-1927, and was first advertised that fall. The movement in the style 2 Baby Ben is identical to that in the style 1 Baby Ben of the same time period. The difference is in the case—a die-cast base replaced the legs, and the ring on top was omitted. (Note that the front of the base is longer than the back – we have often seen clocks with the base installed backward!)
Design patent Des. 72,332 issued to H. A. Schierholtz on March 29, 1927 covers the style 2 case design. Max Schlenker was responsible for the design of the base.
The first style 2 Baby Bens have a polished nickel finish just like the style 1 Baby Bens. White non-luminous dials or black luminous dials were made, which had the lettering “Baby Ben DeLuxe.” (A few white painted metal dials have been seen on Baby Bens but not Big Bens.)
Crackle painted finishes in green, blue, and pink (“old rose” in Westclox literature) were introduced in 1928. The very first of these crackle finish clocks have white paper dials, but by summer of 1928 gold colored paper non-luminous dials were being used. In fall of 1929 crackle finish Baby Bens with luminous dials were added to the line (these luminous dials are gold painted metal).
Starting in 1930 the dials no longer said “DeLuxe” on them, just “Baby Ben” as on the style 1 clocks.
Solid color painted finishes were introduced in 1930 and the crackle finish was discontinued. The solid colors were light green, light blue and pink.
A fancy dial with raised gold leaf numerals was introduced in 1930, about the same time as the solid case finish. These dials have slight off-white or beige backgrounds (the background colors vary due to differences in how they have aged) with fancy skeleton hands. This dial was used in the solid color painted cases, and in “butler” (brushed) finish nickel cases.
At this time, solid color Baby Bens were available with either the standard gold luminous dial or the fancy raised gold numeral non-luminous dial; polished nickel finish Baby Bens were available with the white non-luminous dial or black luminous dial; and butler nickel Baby Bens had the raised gold numeral dial. (More research needs to be done by studying ads and catalogs to determine if the above list is accurate. For example, was there a butler finish Baby Ben with luminous dial?)
The nickel finish Baby Ben was in production through the period in which the painted clocks were produced, but judging by the relative numbers of them we have seen, the painted clocks were far more popular.
The style 2 Baby Ben was discontinued in 1932.
Style 2 Reproductions
A miniature of the style 2 was made in 1997. It has a quartz movement, and the quantity was limited to 5000 pieces.
