Westclox is an American brand of clocks and alarm clocks owned by NYL Holdings LLC. The company's historic plant is located in Peru, Illinois.
Early history as United Clock Company
Charles Stahlberg and others from Waterbury, Connecticut, formed the "United Clock Company" in 1885, in Peru, Illinois, intending to manufacture clocks based on a technological innovation by Stahlberg.[1] Stahlberg patented this innovation on September 22, 1885, (US patent #326,602) which involved the use of molded lead alloy movement plates with inset brass bushings as well as lead alloy gear assemblies.[2]
Bankruptcies, reorganizations, and mergers
In 1887, the company reorganized under the new name Western Clock Company and again went bankrupt, and F. W. Matthiessen reorganized it in 1888 as the Western Clock Manufacturing Company. In 1908, the company received a patent for the "Big Ben" alarm clock movement. This movement has a "bell-back" design, meaning that the bell mechanism is integral to the clock's case.