If you have an old wind-up alarm clock with “Westclox” printed on the dial, you might be holding a genuine piece of American manufacturing history. The Big Ben and Baby Ben are two of the most recognizable vintage alarm clocks ever produced, and learning Westclox Big Ben Baby Ben identification is a rewarding skill for collectors and hobbyists alike.
I have spent years examining these clocks at estate sales, antique malls, and through online collector communities like the NAWCC forums. What I have learned is that dating a Westclox clock comes down to a handful of reliable methods that anyone can master with a little patience and good lighting.
This guide walks you through the complete identification process from start to finish. You will learn how to tell a Big Ben from a Baby Ben, how to open the case safely, how to read the movement date stamps that Westclox used for nearly seven decades, how to decode style numbers, and how to spot common authenticity problems like replaced dials.
Whether you inherited a clock from a grandparent or found one at a flea market, by the end of this article you will know exactly what model you have and roughly when it rolled off the line in LaSalle, Illinois.
Table of Contents
What Are Westclox Big Ben and Baby Ben Clocks?
The Big Ben and Baby Ben are mechanical wind-up alarm clocks manufactured by the Westclox company in LaSalle, Illinois. The Big Ben debuted in 1908 and the Baby Ben followed shortly after in 1910, both designed as affordable, reliable bedside alarm clocks for the mass American market.
The company originally operated under the name Western Clock Manufacturing Company before officially adopting the Westclox brand name that collectors recognize today. These clocks became household fixtures across the United States for more than half a century, sitting on millions of nightstands.
Both models feature round metal cases, wind-up mainspring movements, and a signature concentric alarm hand that sits behind the hour and minute hands on the dial. The names “Big Ben” and “Baby Ben” were inspired by the famous Great Bell of the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster in London, evoking an image of loud, dependable timekeeping.
Westclox date-stamped their clock movements from the earliest production years straight through until the late 1970s. This factory practice is what makes accurate dating possible today, and it remains the single most valuable tool for any collector trying to pin down when a specific clock was made.
How to Identify a Westclox Big Ben or Baby Ben and Date It: Step by Step
Identifying and dating a Westclox clock follows a clear, repeatable sequence. Here is the step-by-step process I use every time I examine a new clock.
Step 1: Confirm the manufacturer. Look for “Westclox” or “Western Clock Mfg. Co.” on the dial or back plate. Genuine Big Ben and Baby Ben clocks always carry the Westclox or Western Clock name somewhere on the casing.
Step 2: Determine whether you have a Big Ben or a Baby Ben. The Big Ben measures approximately 5 inches in diameter, while the Baby Ben is noticeably smaller at about 3.5 inches. If the clock fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, it is almost certainly a Baby Ben.
Step 3: Read the back plate markings. Turn the clock over and examine the back. You will typically find the model name, “LaSalle, Illinois” or “Peru, Illinois,” and sometimes one or more patent dates. These markings confirm authenticity and give you a rough starting date range.
Step 4: Access the movement to find the date stamp. This is the most important step and the one that trips up the most collectors. You need to open the case to reach the movement where the factory date stamp lives. I cover the full process in the dedicated section below.
Step 5: Locate and read the date stamp. On older clocks, the date is stamped on the back of the front plate between the main wheel pivot hole and the plate edge. This stamp tells you the exact month and year your clock was manufactured.
Step 6: Cross-reference with the style number. The style number, often printed on the dial or stamped into the movement, helps confirm your date stamp reading and narrows the production period. If the style number and date stamp tell conflicting stories, one of them may not be original to the clock.
Big Ben vs Baby Ben: Key Differences
The difference between a Big Ben and a Baby Ben comes down primarily to size, but there are several other details worth knowing when you are trying to identify what you have.
Size is the most obvious giveaway. The Big Ben case measures roughly 5 inches across, while the Baby Ben comes in at about 3.5 inches in diameter. The Big Ben was designed as the louder, more prominent bedside clock, and the Baby Ben was marketed as a compact alternative for travel or smaller nightstands.
Both share the same fundamental mechanical design. Each has a wind-up mainspring movement with a balance wheel, a separate alarm spring and gear train, and the signature concentric alarm hand that lets you set the alarm time directly on the dial face.
The dial layouts look similar at first glance but are scaled differently. Big Ben dials have larger numerals with more breathing room between the hour markers. Baby Ben dials use the same design language but compress everything into a proportionally smaller space.
Style numbers run in parallel for both models but represent entirely different clocks. A Style 1A Big Ben and a Style 1A Baby Ben were produced in roughly the same era, but they are different sizes with slightly different dial proportions and case details.
Back Plate Markings Explained
The back plate is your first identification checkpoint. Every genuine Big Ben and Baby Ben carries markings on the back that reveal key information about the clock’s origin.
Look for the Westclox name first. On the earliest models, you may see “Western Clock Mfg. Co.” instead. The factory location is typically listed as “LaSalle, Ill.” or “Peru, Ill.,” which confirms the clock was manufactured at the Westclox facility in Illinois.
Patent dates are common on back plates from the 1910s through the 1930s. These dates tell you when specific mechanical features were patented, not when your clock was actually manufactured. A patent date of June 9, 1925, means your clock was made sometime after that date, but it does not narrow the production year on its own.
Some back plates include the model name cast directly into the metal. You might see “Big Ben” or “Baby Ben” in raised lettering, which is a helpful confirmation when the dial is worn or damaged.
The back plate is a starting point, not a final answer. For precise dating, you always need to go one step further and access the movement to read the factory date stamp inside.
How to Access the Movement for Dating
Opening a Westclox case is the step that confuses more people than any other. Forum posts on the NAWCC and Reddit communities are filled with questions about how to do this without damaging the clock. Here is the method I recommend after opening dozens of these cases myself.
For most Big Ben and Baby Ben clocks, the movement is accessed from the back of the case. Start by locating the two screws that hold the back plate in place. These are typically flathead screws, so a properly sized screwdriver is essential to avoid stripping the heads.
Remove both screws and set them aside in a safe spot. Gently lift the back plate away from the case. Once the back is off, you will see the movement sitting inside the case body.
The movement is held in place by screws or retaining tabs. On many models, you can carefully lift or tip the movement forward enough to see the back of the front plate where the date stamp lives. You do not always need to fully remove the movement, just angle it enough to read the stamp.
The date stamp is located on the back side of the front plate, specifically in the area between the main wheel pivot hole and the edge of the plate. A magnifying glass and a bright, angled light source are your best friends here. The stamp is small and can be easy to miss.
Some later model clocks use a different case design that may require a slightly different approach. Style 5 and later clocks sometimes have snap-on or differently secured backs. If you encounter unexpected resistance, stop immediately and consult a model-specific resource rather than forcing anything.
A critical safety warning: the mainspring inside a wound clock can release with surprising force. If the clock is fully wound, let it run down completely before opening the case. Never reach your fingers into the movement while the spring is under tension, as a sudden release can cause injury.
Take photos at every step of the process. This helps you reassemble the clock correctly and gives you a permanent record of the date stamp and movement details for future reference.
Reading Movement Date Stamps
The movement date stamp is the most reliable way to date a Westclox clock. Westclox stamped manufacturing dates directly onto their movements from the earliest production years until the late 1970s.
Early clocks, produced from the beginning through the mid-1930s, used a full month, day, and year format. You might find a stamp reading “3-15-29,” which means the movement was manufactured on March 15, 1929. This format gives you the exact date of production.
Starting in the mid-1930s, Westclox switched to a simpler month and year format to streamline production. A stamp reading “8-47” means August 1947. This abbreviated format continued until Westclox stopped date-stamping movements altogether in the late 1970s.
These stamps can be faint, especially on older clocks that have seen decades of use and handling. Use a magnifying glass and angle a flashlight across the plate surface to catch the impressions in the metal. Light raking across the surface reveals stamped numbers far better than direct overhead lighting.
One technique that experienced collectors use is a soft pencil rubbing. Place a thin sheet of paper over the stamp area and gently rub with the side of a pencil lead. The raised and recessed areas transfer to the paper, sometimes revealing numbers that are nearly invisible to the naked eye.
One important note: the date stamp tells you when the movement was made, not necessarily when the clock was assembled, sold, or first used. Movements were sometimes installed in cases weeks or months after production, so the actual sale date could be slightly later than the stamp suggests.
If your clock has no date stamp anywhere on the movement, it was most likely manufactured after Westclox discontinued the practice in the late 1970s.
Style Numbers and Their Date Ranges
Style numbers are the classification system Westclox used to distinguish different case designs, dial layouts, and feature sets across production years. Knowing your style number narrows the production era and helps confirm your date stamp reading.
The Big Ben Style 1 was the original model, produced from 1908 through the early 1920s. It featured a nickel-plated brass case and an early dial design with “Big Ben” printed prominently across the face.
The Style 1A followed in the mid-1920s and ran through the late 1930s. It featured a refreshed dial design with updated typography and minor case modifications while keeping the same overall proportions.
The Style 2, introduced around 1938, brought a more streamlined modern appearance and in some variations included the “Sleep-Meter” feature that showed how much sleep remained before the alarm would sound. This style ran through the mid-1950s.
The Style 5 appeared in the mid-1950s with a redesigned case profile. Later styles continued into the 1960s and 1970s with progressively more modern, angular aesthetics.
Baby Ben style numbers follow a parallel progression. The Baby Ben Style 1 ran from 1910 through the early 1920s, with the Style 1A continuing into the late 1930s. Each subsequent style number mirrors the Big Ben timeline but in the smaller case format.
One of the most frequently asked questions in collector forums is the difference between Style 7 and Style 8. Style 7 models typically feature rounded cases with classic dial designs that carry forward earlier Westclox aesthetics. Style 8 models adopted more angular, mid-century cases with updated typography and a noticeably different silhouette. If you are trying to decide between these two, the case shape and corner profile are your best visual clues.
Common Dating Mistakes and Authenticity Warnings
Several common pitfalls can lead to incorrect dating or misidentification. Here are the issues I see most often and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Relying only on patent dates. Patent dates tell you when a mechanical feature was legally protected, not when your specific clock was made. A clock with a 1925 patent date could have been manufactured any time in the years or decades that followed.
Mistake 2: Trusting the dial without checking the movement. Dials are replaced more often than most people realize. A clock sporting a 1920s-style dial might actually contain a 1950s movement underneath. Always verify your dating with the movement date stamp rather than relying on the dial alone.
Mistake 3: Assuming the movement is original. Movements get swapped during repairs and restorations. If the date stamp on the movement does not align with the style number era of the case and dial, the movement may have been replaced at some point in the clock’s history.
Radium dial safety is a concern that most identification guides completely overlook. Many Big Ben and Baby Ben clocks produced from the 1920s through the 1960s used radium-based luminous paint on the hands and numerals so they would glow in the dark. This paint is radioactive and remains hazardous today.
If your clock has luminous markers that still glow under a UV light, treat it with genuine caution. Do not open the movement in an unventilated or enclosed space. Never sand, scrape, or attempt to remove the luminous paint from the dial. Radium paint can flake and create loose contamination that spreads through dust.
Store radium-dial clocks away from areas where people sleep or spend extended periods of time. If you suspect your clock has a radium dial and you plan to keep it in a living space, consider having it professionally evaluated to understand the level of risk.
FAQs
How much is a Westclox Baby Ben worth?
Westclox Baby Ben clocks typically range from $15 to $150 depending on age, condition, and rarity. Early Style 1 and Style 1A models from the 1910s and 1920s in working condition with original dials command the highest prices. Common later models in average condition sell toward the lower end of that range.
How to date Westclox?
Open the clock case to access the movement, then look for a date stamp on the back of the front plate between the main wheel pivot hole and the plate edge. Clocks made before the mid-1930s use a month-day-year format, while later stamps use a month-year format. Westclox stamped manufacturing dates on movements until the late 1970s.
When was Westclox Big Ben made?
The Westclox Big Ben was first produced in 1908 and continued in various styles for decades. Production spanned from the Style 1 in 1908 through subsequent styles well into the 1970s and beyond under different corporate ownership.
When did Westclox go out of business?
Westclox filed for bankruptcy in the late 1970s, and the LaSalle, Illinois factory closed in 1980. The Westclox brand name was later acquired and has continued under different ownership for various clock products since then.
Conclusion
Learning how to identify a Westclox Big Ben or Baby Ben and date it opens a fascinating window into American manufacturing history. By checking the back plate markings, safely opening the case, reading the movement date stamp, and cross-referencing the style number, you can pinpoint when your clock was made with surprising accuracy.
I encourage you to handle these clocks with care, especially when dealing with potential radium dials. Take your time, use good lighting, and document everything you find. Every Westclox clock has a story to tell, and now you have the tools to uncover it.