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Telechron 1L715 illuminated clock installed at Bell Laboratories

Started by cornell9, August 10, 2022, 12:10:12 AM

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cornell9

Here is a Telechron 1L715 illuminated / lighted clock with an interesting history.  The person I acquired it from worked at Bell Laboratories and purchased it from the company when the clock was on the hallway floor and appeared like it was going to be discarded/no longer in use.

The clock was installed at the Murray Hill Bell Laboratories complex soon after the complex was built in the early 1940s.  The B2 rotor was dated November 1957 (probably the clock was repaired/replaced soon after that month) and it runs smoothly and quietly.

Per Wikipedia some interesting technologies were developed at this location:  "Murray Hill (MH) - 600 Murray Hill, Murray Hill, NJ (built 1941–1945, currently Nokia, developed transistor, UNIX operating system and C programming language, anechoic chamber, several building sections demolished)"

The last photo shows the Bell Laboratories metal inventory label affixed to the clock.

The photos below also show part of my clock and phone collection (from L-R:  1H1312, 1L715, 1H912 but with GE hands, Western Electric 151AL candlestick phone, WE 302, 7H106K illuminated alarm clock, 7H93K illuminated alarm clock, 7F70, 4H82, 3H94, and Western Electric 51AL.

To restore the clock, the old wiring was removed and replaced with new wiring and a new cord, and the lighting was replaced with LED lighting with a wireless module that enables the light to be turned on and off remotely (the original light sockets and other non-wiring parts were of course saved for completeness).  The clock uses 24 watts while lit and 2.2 watts while running without the lights on.  The original rubber gasket ring around the glass face had completely hardened and was saved with the other parts but replaced in the clock with soft foam to protect the glass face.  The painted undersurface of the glass face was cleaned with melamine foam and water.  The rusty screws and other parts were cleaned with a vinegar soak for several days.  The movement was disassembled and ultrasonically cleaned.

Does anyone have a spare glass for this clock given the crack in the original glass?  It seems like the Timesavers Pam replacement 14 3/8" convex glass with a flattened top is 1.2" depth below the glass while the total depth of the 1L1215 and 1L715 glass is 1" including the 1/8" thickness of the glass.  I contacted them and they do not have other options available.  https://timesavers.com/i-24049654-pam-ad-clock-round-convex-glass-with-flattened-top.html

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LarryInMichigan

I have one of those hanging (and working) on my living room wall.  I left the original wiring and installed two incandescent 25W bulbs.  The case had some chips, scratches, and rust, so I repainted it with Duplicolorbronze wheel paint, which is a reasonable match with the original color.  I used a weak solution of LA's Totally Awesome cleaner to dissolve the dirt on the back side of the face.  I used silicone feet the space between the face and crystal because the original gasket was completely gone as were most of the original screws when I bought the clock.  Fortunately, the crystal was in good condition.  Finding a replacement crystal is not easy.

Larry


RDPipes


Doug Rose

Both clocks are outstanding. Warren Telechron Clocks were made in Asland MA, town next to me. Telechron later was bought by GE. I had a few on my walls but my Phones pushed them out  8)  .... I have never seen a lighted version...very cool....Doug
Kidphone

LarryInMichigan


RDPipes

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on August 10, 2022, 08:13:30 AMThank you.  I way way too many clocks.

Larry
I think we're very close to the same sort, for when I collect anything I can't just stop at a couple.
It can be a bad habit specially when one can't afford it. Several years ago I had to get rid of most my collections
and it helped, mainly because I couldn't afford to replace them, LOL! There's a name for it, I can't recall it right now
but, I had the same problem with alcohol, couldn't stop at just one. But, I haven't had a drink in over 20 years now, wish I could say that about my collecting. Just recently sold off my collection of over 300 pipes.

LarryInMichigan

Quote from: RDPipes on August 10, 2022, 08:52:52 AMI think we're very close to the same sort, for when I collect anything I can't just stop at a couple.
It can be a bad habit specially when one can't afford it. Several years ago I had to get rid of most my collections
and it helped, mainly because I couldn't afford to replace them, LOL! There's a name for it, I can't recall it right now
but, I had the same problem with alcohol, couldn't stop at just one. But, I haven't had a drink in over 20 years now, wish I could say that about my collecting. Just recently sold off my collection of over 300 pipes.

I never liked alcohol, so that is not a problem.  Chocolate may be another story.  I have large collections of electric clocks, radios, and, of course, telephones.  I also have about a dozen electric fans, some more than 100 years old (and working) and some art glass (largely Murano with a number of clowns). 

Larry

RDPipes

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on August 10, 2022, 09:04:04 AMI never liked alcohol, so that is not a problem.  Chocolate may be another story.  I have large collections of electric clocks, radios, and, of course, telephones.  I also have about a dozen electric fans, some more than 100 years old (and working) and some art glass (largely Murano with a number of clowns). 

Larry


Well, to name collections there were small appliances including Coffees, Toasters, Mixers etc, etc. A lot of Sunbeam from the teens to 50's, Radios of the 20's to 50's, kitchen glass ware 30's to 50's, Salt and Pepper shakers, Shot glasses /bar ware, Smoking pipes, electric fans from 1904 to 40's Telephones 20's to 50's, electrical attachment plugs teens to 30's, Model trains (HO), thermometers, clocks, and I'm sure I've forgotten something. And that's why people thought more of my house as a museum then a home. LOL! Sad thing is, if I had all the money I spent on collecting I'd be very comfortable now.

LarryInMichigan

#8
I was at a friend's house once while the brother-in-law was visiting.  He told me that he had a friend who collected wagon wheels and toothpick holders.  Someone on this forum in the UK once posted that he knew someone who collected toilets.  So I feel that I am not quite so weird or insane.  As far as my house being a museum, precious few people I know have any interest whatsoever in what I have.  One friend remarks when he comes over that he cannot understand why anyone would want to collect these things.  He however, likes to collect Chinese junk snow globes, so who is more insane?

Larry

RDPipes

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on August 10, 2022, 12:01:41 PMI was at a friend's house once while the brother-in-law was visiting.  He told me that he had a friend who collected wagon wheels and toothpick holders.  Someone on this forum in the UK was posted that he knew someone who collected toilets.  So I feel that I am not quite so weird or insane.  As far as my house being a museum, precious few people I know have any interest whatsoever in what I have.  One friend remarks when he comes over that he cannot understand why anyone would want to collect these things.  He however, likes to collect Chinese junk snow globes, so who is more insane?

Larry
I know exactly what you mean, I've had people praise the collections and people act like I'm a garbage hoarder.
To each his own, the less collectors the better for the collectors that there are, LOL!

kmcuny

#10
@larryInMichigan, I'm unexpectantly in the market for either the 1L715 or a glass face for that model. Yesterday was a sad day here. We inherited my grandfather's telechron, it hung on the wall in his jewelry store. At some point, my father changed it from Electric to battery-operated and it hung in his repair shop until he died last year. When we switched out the battery for the first time, the glass face broke. The clock belongs to my 14-year-old son, it is my hope I can get it working again.

Any chance you know where I can find a face or buy a 1L715.

Dad was a respected horologist:
https://www.app.com/obituaries/asb279277

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on August 10, 2022, 06:27:57 AMI have one of those hanging (and working) on my living room wall...

LarryInMichigan

#11
Quote from: kmcuny on May 06, 2023, 02:34:34 PM...Any chance you know where I can find a face or buy a 1L715.

I have seen these clocks for sale locally on only a couple of occasions.  They are not common.  I just posted to the Telechron collectors' forum asking if anyone knows about one for sale.

Larry



HarrySmith

To each his own. I was shocked several years ago when I started selling on eBay. There are collectors out there for absolutely everything! Anything you can think of has a collector, I too have done the same as others. Collecting books, glass, comics and then phones. Everything to the extreme. Much like you Ron that included alcohol. I had to give that up. This November will be 40 years. Phones are a harmless  obsession. That's how I came up with Phoneitis, it fits me.

I forgot hats, I collected baseball type hats for a long time.  My wife complained about moving them with us a few times and finally on the last move I gave them up. I had not worn one in years. I ended up with 4 large yard waste bags full. I listed them online and actually got $200.00 for them. Some were probably 40 or more years old.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Contempra

Quote from: HarrySmith on May 08, 2023, 07:56:46 AMTo each his own. I was shocked several years ago when I started selling on eBay. There are collectors out there for absolutely everything! Anything you can think of has a collector, I too have done the same as others. Collecting books, glass, comics and then phones. Everything to the extreme. Much like you Ron that included alcohol. I had to give that up. This November will be 40 years. Phones are a harmless  obsession. That's how I came up with Phoneitis, it fits me


As for me, I've been on EBay for years, but I don't sell anything, I only buy if I'm interested in the item and only in Canada (I don't have a credit card). So I can't buy anything from elsewhere in the country). One of the reasons is that I don't agree with their principle of selling and having to pay a certain amount. This makes you have to sell more to get your price.


Like you I collected many things like vintage TV's ( which I stopped because it costs a lot to repair and tubes in Canada are not really available ) Some antique radios, these two areas, I no longer collect them at all.


I started collecting phones a little over a decade ago now, and recently started collecting vintage toys from old Matchboxx cars, hotwheels and old tin cars. ( an old 1958 GMC truck with friction, but not functional ) . Well, I'm just starting out in these toys but I don't think I'm going to get much further than vintage phones.