The cylinder and cradle are positioned between two arched, wooden end pieces on either side, almost like bookends. The slightly larger and more common style we will refer to here as the "Stylis" - from the paper label typically found on the bottom reading "Stylis Timepiece." The clock mechanism of the Stylis is housed in a cylindrical glass tube which seems to rest on an equally sized wooden framework or cradle. There exist two distinct versions of the New Haven Flip Clock. Two Versions of the New Haven Timepiece (Stylis and Perseus) And by 1939 an advertisement still describes the clock as "modern masterpiece by New Haven that gives you the time accurately and precisely, just like you would speak it." The consensus is that the clocks first appeared in 1937. So basically, what we know about the New Haven "Time Flip" remains limited. Ah well, that was a time before the internet and instant knowledge. This can be seen by an advertisement from that period that describes a flip clock of the day as the first new way to tell time in 10 centuries. Due to this lack of readily available information, even people in the 1960s had little idea of the history of digital clocks. These type of clocks continued on into the 40s, 50s and 60s until overtaken by the flip clocks. These were the cyclometers, the clocks that had digits that rolled on relatively large wheels housed in necessarily bulky cabinets. The limited recorded history results in many being surprised to learn that there were already "digital" clocks in the 1930s when the New Haven flip clocks came on the scene. Today, these details must be pieced together from old advertisements of the day, established horological journals and online sources. No one thought to keep records of the details beyond patents. Recorded information from the makers of antique clocks from the 1930s is scarce or non-existant. To more appreciate this link to the past we need a little historical background. Anyone who appreciates the clean lines and simplicity of the Cifra 3 and the elegant functionality of the early Copals will clearly see the connection to the New Haven Flip Clocks of the late 1930s. This current popularity and scarcity certainly accounts for the high prices the clocks command at traditional and online auctions.Īfter production of the New Haven Flip Clocks, 30 years would pass before the modern flip clock era began. This apparent lack of popularity in their time, and likely limited production, probably explains the rarity of the New Haven Flip Clock, which today makes them highly collectable and sought after by both traditional clock collectors (horologists) and aficionados of flip clocks (horopalettologists). So perhaps this explains why these clocks did not quite catch on and quickly faded into obscurity. The New Haven flip clocks, while clearly different and unique, were not exactly the prevailing style, and yet did not fit completely in the traditional form either. The designers were in tune with the public's fascination with world travel and streamlined speed. Everything from cars, clocks, and tools were designed with streamlined profiles, and produced with modern materials in keeping with the engineering advances in aviation and train design. In fact, when they first came out between 1937-1939 Art Deco had evolved to what is now called the Streamline Moderne style. Because compared to true Art Deco, these clocks do not quite fit the bill. Perhaps it would be better to say that the New Haven Flip Clocks were, "influenced" by the Art deco movement. Now referred to as the "New Haven Flip Clock," in online circles today this antique wooden flip clock is often described as Art Deco. The New Haven "Time Flip" fit somewhere between the these two categories. Yet, they continued to produce the elegant, traditional clocks of wood, glass and brass. Over the more than one century of its existance, the well known clock company produced many varieties of table, wall and mantle clocks, including elaborate chime clocks, and later, even pocket watches.ĭuring the 1930s masters of the arts, architecture and design were consumed with the Art Deco style, and the New Haven Clock Company produced its share of plastic (Catalin and Bakelite) Art Deco time pieces. The New Haven Clock Company operated out of New Haven, Connecticut from 1853-1960. It was the 1930s - The era of the Great Depression, when the New Haven Clock Company produced an early version of a true flip clock - the New Haven "Time Flip," "Time at a Glance" clock.
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