This is the Seth Thomas Wall Maid Model 2471.
The clock came in this color they called "Harvest Gold" (the model 2471), white (model 2472) and Avocado (2470).
The clock showed up in the Seth Thomas Catalog in 1971 and made a limited appearance in newspaper ads. In 1971 it retailed for $30.00, then by 1972 it was being discounted as low $18.88.
The clock is a fairly large sized flip clock that is advertised as being able to be displayed on the desk, table or wall.
In looking at the clock, my first impression is that it was well used. And secondly, someone shortened the cord here. I think it's curious that the wall hanging hole is off-centered. I've never seen that on a clock before, in all my years of flip clockery. Obviously, it's placement is designed to address the unbalanced weight due to likely location of the motor here on this side.
That's still just a little strange.
The mechanism of this clock is very familiar to me, with these large digits. It's the same mechanism used in the Seth Thomas oval wall clock I have here in Flip Clock Fans Studios. Except the one on my wall uses a battery operated mechanism. They called it the Speed Read Battery Wall clock model 849. I've altered this clock using white digits instead of the supplied black.
SCREENSHOT FROM THE VIDEO (link)
To get into this clock you have to remove the front piece. The clock uses a General Time Capsule motor to power the clock. It had two neon bulbs, but they were very blackened. Obviously this clock was used for years.
When I opened the clock I found a bunch of garbage that looked like something spilled then dried up. It has a crystalline texture, like glass, sort of. After messing with the motor it seem that this may be varnish from the motor coil. As I mess with the motor this stuff kept falling out.
Everything pointed to the motor as the problem. As many of you know, the motor has two basic parts. The capsule that has a specific gearing needed to run the particular clock, and an outer cage that has the winding and that makes the rotating magnetic field that causes a component inside the sealed can to rotate and move the gears, eventually moving the clock.
It is very clear that this is a very highly used clock. One of the reasons I think that, besides the high level of blackening on the neons, can be seen if you look at the mechanism to stop against backward movement. There's a little spring loaded hand on a gear on the side that is supposed to stop backwards movement. I can see that the spring is working fine but, the arm has actually been worn away by years of use. I have never seen that kind of wear in a flip clock. It's crazy.
I had to search the totes in the dungeons of flip clock parts to look for a motor to replace this. I was surprised to find in very first tote I opened, this Zenith Circle of Sound parts clock.
This Zenith used the General Time/Seth Thomas/Westclox tape-style mechanism that was run with a capsule motor.
Evidently, I pulled off gear and got what I needed. Thankfully a coil remained that seems to be in great shape. I just have to swapped it with the failed one.
Once put back together, with the new bulbs, everything is back like the old days. The only thing is that I didn't replace or fix the mechanism that prevents backward movement. It'll be fine as long as no knucklehead besides me messes with the clock.
Well, there it is, the Seth Thomas Wall Maid in Harvest Gold - the model 2471.
Thankfully restored by using parts from a clock from the Flip Clock Fans Dungeon.
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