In 1944, you literally could not go into a store and buy a new alarm clock. Those who didn't live next door to a rooster had a pretty fair excuse for being late to work. To pre-empt an epidemic of tardiness that might hurt the War effort, the War Production Board authorized clockmakers to produce special "war alarms". For the War Alarm #1, Telechron combined the case (the rear case was reworked), hands and dial from the Warden and the movement and alarm dial from the Reporter to create a great, simple, little alarm clock. No bell, luminous numbers or light but full of Telechron dependability. Later that same year, with the War on its last legs (The Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima or Okinawa notwithstanding), Telechron got the OK to begin making consumer clocks again. The War Alarm became Dispatcher and, along with Telalarm, Telechron was back in the clock business even before the end of hostilities.
War Alarms
all had ivory cases and black rubber cords. If someone tries to sell
you a walnut brown War Alarm, don't fall for it. The Dispatcher
did
come in ivory. In fact, that was the only way you could get it for
a while. The War Alarm #2 was based
on the G.E. 7H116 and after the War became the
G.E. 7H154.
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ASHLAND,Mass.,
Oct. 6. - The
worn-out
alarm clock alibi is on the
out.
Roy W. Johnson, general sales
manager
of the Warren Telechron
Co.,
announced yesterday the com-
pany
will start manufacturing elec-
tric
alarm clocks under its own
name
on November 1, immediately
after
dissolution of the pooling ar-
rangment
under which "war alarm"
clocks
were made for much of the
industry.
But don't get too optomistic. Mr.
Johnson
said that, although the
company
will turn out several thou-
sand
clocks a day, there is a demand
for
125,000 right now. You can
figure
out your chances yourself.
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| If you can't make it out, it's a bunch well-heeled citizens at an auction falling all over each other to bid on an alarm clock. Thanks to Tony M. for the pic and for identifying Richard Taylor as the artist and dating this comic (March, 1944). |
This
is the wife's favorite model. She thinks they're cute in large groups.
The larger, the better, I say....