The Westclox-Mystery

Junghans used different collaborations with different companies. Unfortunately little is known, the archives in Schramberg are decimated by owner changes.

Maybe we can bring a lillte light into the dark of the cooperations with other companies (see also: The Ingersoll-Report)…

But first, back to WESTCLOX-Mystery!

Based in the city Peru, Illinois/USA the company was founded in 1887 (then WESTERN CLOCK CO.) and is famous for the so-called "dollar Watches" - cheap pocket watches which found their production zenith 15,000 watches per day in 1920. By the year 1930, the group pushed 50,000,000 clocks on the market. On the dials is signed "La Salle, Ill., USA", nevertheless the company had its headquarters in Peru, Illinois.

Under the name WESTCLOX, DIVISION OF GENERAL TIME CORPORATION the company operated from 1936 to 1969.

In ancient caliber lists a Junghans Caliber J56 exists.

In this caliber list a connection with the company Westclox is recorded. This caliber is a simple pillar movement with pin lever escapement which was probably produced around 1956. Apparently there is also a version with a sub second, however, was made ​​only in 1956 and was named Caliber J56/1.

There is also an automatic version on the basis of the same caliber.

That Junghans and Westclox cooperated can be shown with the following watch. In it a well-known Junghans 693.82 (J93 / 1) is ticking (for comparison see: The watch Bob gave Charley – The Sabre Series and: Junghans J93/1; 693.82).

Usually movements were labeled with GERMANY in the watches probably supplied by Junghans as often as the dial and the bottom.

The first shown claiber J56 is unfortunately in a pitiful state. The bottom lid is missing, so it is unclear whether there has been marked GERMANY. The hand winding movement has a diameter of 25.55 mm or about 11 1/4''' (the dial-sided board) and max. 23.50 mm, 10 1 / 2''' on the bottom board.

Unfortunately, missing some parts of the movement, including the second pinion. The watch had therefore a sweep second.

On the dial is at 6: LA SALLE ILL. U.S.A. It becomes interesting if you take a look at the backside of the dial. Here stamped the producer: GERMANY

On the balance side of the plate is impressed once again GERMANY.

According to a former employee of Junghans, Junghans adopted and executed an order around 1960 for Westclox in America. It should be made a very cheap movement for a wristwatch by American standards, which was, for example, given as a freebie when buying a suit.

The assignment was only worthwhile for Junghans by the then exchange rate 1 dollar = about 4.20 DM.

Originally the caliber was called J55, here there was a later discovered overlap with the pocket watch caliber J55 (see below). Therefore, the number was continued and the caliber produced for Westclox got the number J56.

The bottom cover of the red font-variant has a number and the rest is identical to the watch (black self-winding) shown above. The dimensions of the base boards are identical to the first-shown handwinding variant.

The caliber Westclox W4 provides the mechanical movement shown not only very similar, it seems to be the same:

The questions that open up:

Has Junghans worked on behalf of Westclox? Is it the Junghans J56 or is it the Westclox W4 with altered dial board?

Bill Stoddard and Gary Biolchini from the USA have fortunately help me a little. Bill Stoddard has long been involved with Westclox watches and has a nice website: www.billsclockworks.com

Gary Biolchini has quite a bit published about Westclox also the book: Westclox: An Identification And Price Guide

Both are proven Westclox specialists and Gary Biolchini gave me some pictures of construction plans sent kindly via Bill (THANK YOU, BILL and GARY!) That underpin the cooperation of Junghans and Westclox again.

The plans are from the period 1960 - 1962 and are written and drawn in non-metric units. So it seems to me, the plans were not necessarily written by a native (german) speaker, as some misspellings repeat (as "Sekunentrieb" (without d), also missing umlauts as ü), and the numbers are written in American notation (1 and 7).

In the lower right corner of the plans, the data about the individual watches, for example, the first corner is written here:

DRAWN: K.Kiefer       DATE: 5-2-60        SCALE: 20-1
MATERIAL: JUNGHANS J-55
NAME: CROSS SECTION
MODEL: GW6B
PART NO: E-104

The caliber numbers were, as mentioned above already changed later from J55 (already assigned to a pocket watch caliber) to J56.

A caliber Junghans J55 is shown here in cooperation with the firm Ingersoll:  The Ingersoll-Report

The pocket watch caliber J55 shows no relation to the watch shown on the plans.

Finally a Westclox Watchlarm can be presented and as almost expected is also located in its inner cover CASE MADE IN GERMANY.

The basic construction of the W5 embossed with MADE BY WESTCLOX LA SALLE ILL. USA recalls the watches shown above (as Westclox W4).

The dial is printed with WESTCLOX SHOCK RESISTANT ALARM and at 6 with LA SALLE, ILL. USA. Here also dials are known where the printing below 6 is missing but which are labeled with GERMANY (see dials down below).

In direct comparison with a back cover of a Junghans J89 Minivox alarm here falls on the clear affinity to the style of the Junghans watch. Both back covers are in three parts with riveted outer hoop and riveted small lever for the hammer klick from the center.

Again, Junghans designers may have been involved in the design. Cases for wrist alarm watches from Germany in the 60s were only made by Junghans and Hanhart. The Hanhart "Sans-Souci" has a similar small lever on the side of the case to start and stop the alarm.

The very simple pin lever movement of the Westclox alarm watch is designed in a pier construction and leaves the alarm ringing about 9 sec. By means of a small sliding lever at the side of the case at 9 the alarm is turned on or off. The alarm hand is set by pressing on the small handle on the case (at 1:30) and jumps in 15 minute increments counterclockwise. The wrist alarm of the Company Westclox were offered in catalogs between 1960 and 1961.

Also on the webside of Bill Stoddard and Gary Biolchini is more background information to find:

clockhistory.com/westclox/products/wristwatch/

A postmark presents Westclox as the world's largest watch manufacturer. And that in 1968 in Pforzheim!

Another clue showing to Pforzheim (Germany) to the dial producer Bock & Schupp that become insolvent at 1992. The bill is from 1958 for parts of the caliber Westclox W 5. On the back of all 20 dials GERMANY is printed.

Hands, invoice and dials I could earn as convolute in the US.

This version of the J56 for the company Diehl shows a balance bridge, which is also shown on the plans of the automatic version.

For more details even controversial opinions on the subject or for more image sources or additional information concerning the cooperation between Westclox and Junghans I would be very happy!