Peculiar Linden 'Cuckoo' flip clock

[flipoclock]

I don't think I've seen this before, nor any flip clock marked 'Linden'. Would be interesting to see what lies inside although I suspect there will be no shocking surprises.

[Mackey]

Here's what I've learned:

Irving Schulman founded Cuckoo Clock Mfg. Co. sometime around 1947. The company imported clock faces and mechanisms from Germany and assembled them in their plant in New York City.

Eventually, (some time around the late 1950s), the company started manufacturing mantel and other clocks under the "Linden" name. The numbers and types of clocks that bore the Linden name grew quickly. The Linden division of Cuckoo Clock Mfg. Co either made or imported all kinds of clocks. With the Linden name becoming well known from the mid 1950s to the 1970s.

In the 1980s the company was bought and sold a few times and eventually was acquired by the Colibri group in 1991. Up until the mid to late 1980s Linden clocks were made in New York city but then operations moved to Rhode Island. Eventually clocks were just imported from Germany, Taiwan, and Japan and the brand name Linden used on them.

It's funny, but they never really made cuckoo clocks and just kept the name "Linden Cuckoo Clock Manufacturing Co, for name recognition, I suppose.

[flipoclock]

Thanks for that! Now for some strange reason I really want a flip-cuckoo-clock... I guess I will have to come up with a plan/design to make one myself

[Mackey]

It's time has come. I'd buy one.

[RetroFlip]

The other one I've seen branded Linden is a model # 962.

[Mackey]

Just took a shot at what I thought was a middle of the road to low ball offer (30 dollars) and the seller took it. I did not expect that. I really did not need/want this, so I'm going to blame flipoclock and RetroFlip. I sure wish it were blue, yellow or green or even white. But, it does fit the type of clock I like.

Anyway, We'll get to see the inside. I don't think it looks like a Ken-Tech type. I hope not.

[flipoclock]

Nice and that's a good price, or so it seems! It surely does not look the ken-tech-type clockwork, hence my interest, I do not recognise the flaps straight off the bat...

[Mackey]

Well... It turns out that the Linden Model 969 has a Toshiba VA-82 motor. I saw this set up in a post by Johan de Jong (see post) regarding a clock named Digitron. Seems that these motors can be noisy (in the post by Johan he describes how he oiled it without cutting the can open). In that same thread noted that these motors are "VERY difficult to source." According to flipoclock the Digitron type was also sold by Seth Thomas.

As I mentioned I got it for $30 plus shipping and surprisingly the motor is completely silent! It's kept great time for 24 hours and no noise. I'm pretty surprised about that because the evidence (darkened bulb and general condition of the clock) seems to indicate that it was well used.

The case, especially the front resembles the Digitron also. Clearly it was made by the same Japanese outfit.