# How does a Time Savings Clock work?



## Ford Anglia (Jun 22, 2018)

Hello all,

Excuse me if anything is unclear or poorly phrased but I'm too young to remember a time when clocks were actually powered by clockwork (of all things...) and, although I own an antique alarm clock and antique pocket watch, I don't really know that much about them. Anyway, I've just bought a 1950s Time Savings Clock as a present for a friend but don't quite know how to explain it to them considering I don't understand it myself.

Inside the clock, it looks like an ordinary clockwork mechanism, but there's a slot on the top for inserting coins instructing you to enter 'Two Florins Weekly', the idea being that it would make you save for insurance payments. I've read on the internet that the clock would not run unless you entered two florins weekly, but I can't see how that works. If you wind the clock up and drop a florin in, the florin just falls straight to the base of the clock and does absolutely nothing. Instead, I've managed to set the clock ticking the same way I got my 1950s Westclox Big Ben alarm clock going (which you're about to tell me is absolutely not the right way of doing it and risks damaging the mechanism), which is my gently tilting the clock from side to side to give it the momentum to start itself. It will run for about a day and a half/two days before it unwinds completely and stops.

Anything you can offer to better my understanding will be very much appreciated!

While I'm here, I'll also ask your advice on another subject. The clock is losing time - it'll lose about 20 minutes over a day - and there's no screw that I can find to adjust the speed. Is this a simple problem or should I give it to a clock repairer to sort out?

Thanks,

Zack


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

https://www.thewellmadeclock.com/tag/time-savings-clock/

Is this what you have? An explanation is on the page. It may be the "lock feature" has been disabled or removed to allow normal running.

I remember these and similar to be used for renting a radio as well.


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## Ford Anglia (Jun 22, 2018)

Apologies for being slow to reply but, yes, that's the clock and your explanation sounds pretty plausible to me. Thanks for your help.


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## luiazazrambo (Jul 22, 2020)

Check this out: Time Savings Clock repair


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