Smug clock

The Smug clock, model no. 8F01, is almost identical to the more recognised Quacker alarm clock, model 7F63, designed by Belle Kogan for Telechron in 1934. Born in Russia, Kogan emigrated to America with her family at the age of four in 1906. She is credited as being one of the first prominent female industrial designers and was also one of the first in her profession to experiment with plastics. She designed this pelican/duck shaped novelty clock for Henry Warren who founded Telechron in 1912. He built a self-starting synchronous motor for his company's range of electric clocks and employed notable designers to produce the cases that were then made affordable to all through mass production. The yellow Smug with orange beak, featured in the Telechron catalogues between 1935-1939 and is compression moulded in Plaskon (trade name), a urea-based plastics material with a cellulose filler, that could easily take colour. This example is missing its electric cable, the hand winding key is broken and the face of the clock is a modern reproduction.

moulded: "Reg. U.S. Telechron. Pat. Off. Electric Clock. Model No. 8F01. Volts 100/125. Cyc 60 W 2. Licensed only for use for which originally sold. Pat. 0ct. 29,'18 0ct. 3,'22 May 22,'23 May 27,'24 July 14,'25 1768386 with indicators Mar. 23,'20 Jan. 25,'27 Warren Telechron Co. Ashland Mass. USA" (reverse)

AIBDC : 008607