"diamond" Brand Alarm Clock.

[stroppy]

As a young kid and teen the only alarm clock I had that would actually wake me up was my white-faced, lime green-bodied "Diamond" brand Chinese alarm clock with the twin bell setup.  At night it was kind of reassuring lying in bed, rain outside, hearing the "tick, tick, tick" of that alarm clock.  And if I switched on my bed light the lume on the hands and dial would shine brightly for quite a long time.

 

Then, of course, like most people, I bought a clock radio ...etc...etc... and the alarm clock disappeared amongst the many items we seem to misplace over the years.  I wished I'd kept it.  It was a good clock.  You just had to move the time on about a minute each day to ensure accuracy and I'd do that when winding it up at bedtime.  It was trustworthy, reliable and the bell would wake me up without fail each morning.

 

Over the years I've found that clock radios and the beeping of modern quartz alarm clocks just aren't shrill enough to wake me up anymore.  So I went on a hunt for a good old fashioned wind-up alarm clock with the big bells on top.  I saw plenty of quartz replicas but no wind up Diamond brand ones like the one I used to own.  Then last week I was in a "$2 +" store and I spied this:

 

Very similar to my old clock but the hands are not lumed.  My old clock did not have the "chicken pecking" complication (the chicken pecks at the ground with the ticking of the clock) but, hey, for $12 who was I to complain?

 

I wound the new clock up...the same reassuring tick.  I prised the back of the case off gently...the same brass movement as my old clock.  Best of all, the **BLEEP** bells are super loud and they DO wake me up.  Bliss!

 

These clocks were one of the first things imported into Australia when relations were "normalised" in the early 70s and many of the stylish ones sold back then now fetch a pretty penny at auctions.  Best of all they were made tough and this was obviously a clock designed for the working masses of China.

[oldhippy]

What about when you want to stay in bed, have you thrown it across the floor yet.

[clockboy]

I did service/repair one of these a few years ago. If I remember correctly the plates were held together via bent metal lugs so had to be careful.

Must say surprise,surprise after it ran really great the the customer was very happy as it had sentimental values.

Actually I do have in my stock a Micky Mouse one but have never got around to the service.

[stroppy]

What about when you want to stay in bed, have you thrown it across the floor yet.

 

 

 

LOL! :)  Nah!  My hearing is so crappy these days that I barely hear the tick if the clock is on the side table, so it's all good.  When it rings in the morning it takes a couple of minutes for my synapses to fire, so the clock is very safe.

[stroppy]

I did service/repair one of these a few years ago. If I remember correctly the plates were held together via bent metal lugs so had to be careful.

Must say surprise,surprise after it ran really great the the customer was very happy as it had sentimental values.

Actually I do have in my stock a Micky Mouse one but have never got around to the service.

 

My first Diamond clock (1973), I'm fairly certain, had bolts holding the front and back plates in situ.  The new one has, as you say, bent lugs.  Meh...as long as it keeps ticking I'll be happy and the cost of the thing was less than buying a dicky little clock radio.

[oldhippy]

This type of clock is what I started on learning clock making.

[stroppy]

This type of clock is what I started on learning clock making.

 

They are pretty simple affairs inside the guts of them.  I wonder if the movements are a take on earlier German or US designs.  

As a kid I lusted after the many Westclox and Smiths alarm clocks on sale but their prices were astronomical compared to the meagre money I was earning working illegally (from age 12) selling camping gear in a camping gear shop near my house.

[oldhippy]

The old smiths and westclox among others were the ones that started me off. They were also the beginnings for me and lathe work, this was by sharpening the points of the balance staff with a small arkansas stone and oil. This would have been way back in the late 60's early 70's.

[stroppy]

The old smiths and westclox among others were the ones that started me off. They were also the beginnings for me and lathe work, this was by sharpening the points of the balance staff with a small arkansas stone and oil. This would have been way back in the late 60's early 70's.

Then you are even older than I am, venerable Sir!  In the 60s I was glued to the tv either watching Billy Mumy or Jonathan Harris going on another adventure or settling to watch Leonard Nimoy and Bill Shatner do their stuff!  :)

[oldhippy]

Then you are even older than I am, venerable Sir!  In the 60s I was glued to the tv either watching Billy Mumy or Jonathan Harris going on another adventure or settling to watch Leonard Nimoy and Bill Shatner do their stuff!   :)

I have every episode of Lost in Space even the pilot which you may know never had Zachary Smith in.

[stroppy]

I have every episode of Lost in Space even the pilot which you may know never had Zachary Smith in.

Oh I know all of that so well...I am a mad fan of LIS and ST-TOS.  I recently bought the bluray LIS collection and the new "all the soundtrack music" for LIS as well.  Cost me a fortune!

 

If I was filthy rich the first thing I'd do is buy one of those replica robot B9s from the US and probably a Robby the Robot as well.  Then I'd set them up in the living room for my own rendition of "War of the Robots". :D

[bobm12]

Gentlemen,

Welcome to the LIS and ST-TOS forum from another fan....errr, did I mixed my forums! :D

 

I also have all the episodes...for both and then more: ST-new generation and all the other sequels/spin offs + cartoons, Galactica new and old, Star Wars + cartoons, Stargates everything, you name it I got it. All my money seems to go in two directions, watches and SF movies and books!

 

(SF movies and books = SF*(movies + books) or =(SF*movies + SF*books) = SF*SelectedMedia; count as one although not evident for the wallet...or the wife! Maybe because it looks like a binary tree --- spend on SFmedia --> books, spend on movies; spend on watches --> spend on watch tools, spend on watch parts....no money for wife perfume, settle with flowers! Happy Valentine honey = one single rose!) :)

 

In any case, I think I'm going to get my hands on one of those alarm clocks to start tinkering with actual clocks! My experience is limited to watches! Great lesson learned, both in horology and SF. I love this place! :)

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[Geo]

We're going a bit of track guys, this is the clock section! ;)

[oldhippy]

We're going a bit of track guys, this is the clock section! ;)

Agree.

[stroppy]

Oops!  Sorry...no intention to wreck the clock forum...It's just that OldHippy's reply made me pleased that there was someone else on the forum with similar interests.

[stroppy]

Gentlemen,

Welcome to the LIS and ST-TOS forum from another fan....errr, did I mixed my forums! :D

 

I also have all the episodes...for both and then more: ST-new generation and all the other sequels/spin offs + cartoons, Galactica new and old, Star Wars + cartoons, Stargates everything, you name it I got it. All my money seems to go in two directions, watches and SF movies and books!

 

(SF movies and books = SF*(movies + books) or =(SF*movies + SF*books) = SF*SelectedMedia; count as one although not evident for the wallet...or the wife! Maybe because it looks like a binary tree --- spend on SFmedia --> books, spend on movies; spend on watches --> spend on watch tools, spend on watch parts....no money for wife perfume, settle with flowers! Happy Valentine honey = one single rose!) :)

 

In any case, I think I'm going to get my hands on one of those alarm clocks to start tinkering with actual clocks! My experience is limited to watches! Great lesson learned, both in horology and SF. I love this place! :)

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

 

Wives will NEVER understand...they will support us (under sufferance) but understand?  No...never... Oh the pain, the PAIN!  ^_^  :P