Sony TFM-C660W

[VintageEcollector]

I stumbled upon this Sony flip clock online and spent all weekend trying to decide if I should pull the trigger. I think you can surmise my decision

My question is, is this model pretty easy to disassemble? I've seen another thread where someone took pics of the inside of the clock and it looked pretty straightforward. The top cabinet comes over and access to the mechanism and radio was right there. I ask this because I also own a Sony 8FC-100W that's a bit more cramped and complicated to take apart. Let's hope it doesn't need much, but at the very least, a cabinet whitening and cleaning will be in order.

[Johan de Jong]

Mackey made below video on this clock. It is easy to get in, but that is only the start of the story ;-)

[VintageEcollector]

Oops, I mis-modeled the clock I purchased and titled this thread wrong! The model I bought is a TFM-650W. It has the same cabinetry but a different clock mechanism. But this video should give me an idea of the disassembly. Thanks for linking it!

[Johan de Jong]

Ah, that seems like a much safer bet! It has a Copal motor and a normal neon bulb, so no big risk.
See also this post: https://www.flipclockfans.com/forum/...-c650w-ca-1973

[VintageEcollector]

I received the clock today and immediately started "restoration". I purchased the clock "untested or for parts/repair" and was worried about the potential issues it could have. Once I unboxed it, it looked nice except for some bad yellowing on the case. I plugged it in and immediately saw the neon bulb light up. I tried the radio and that worked great, albeit with a scratchy volume control. I took it apart to assess the clock mechanism and the inside was very clean. The alarm and sleep functions seemed to be working but the motor was not spinning.




As I was disassembling the motor, I realized that this was the first time I'd ever seen a completely sealed cover for the "whirligig". It uses a Copal GC-1379, for those curious.

An enclosed case seems like a great way to prevent dust from getting in, but the motor wasn't spinning freely. After some sprays of electronic cleaner and some silicone spray, it freed up nicely. I screwed the motor back with the clock mechanism and it flipped! Yay! I did initially set the cog wrong as the clock was flipping on the 30-second mark, according to the seconds wheel. I always thought flipclocks with a seconds wheel were neat, but was a bit wary of them from a stripped gear experience I had with a Soundesign flip clock. This one seems to be working well, but it's a bit noisy. I'm curious if more stress is put on the motor with this extra wheel to turn.


I also noticed the neon bulb had no blackening and the radio dial as well as the alarm set lamps all are working. This clock must not have very many hours on it. I stupidly didn't realize that the green lamp for the alarm wheel only comes on when set, so I cut it to prepare for replacement. When I looked at the bulb, the filament was unbroken, so I just reconnected it.


Tomorrow, I'll try whitening the case and hopefully have it back together!

[VintageEcollector]

Here's the final product! The cabinet whitening took several days as UV exposure is pretty low here during winter in SoCal. It could stand to be out in the sun a bit more, but I'll wait until Spring. I can't believe the radio portion has 11 transistors! It sounds great and there's no doubt this is one of the more premium Sony Flip clocks. When this was released, this was Sony's top-of-the-line "flip" clock with the TFM-C660W being the top-of-the-line "roll" clock.



I love all the stylistic details on the clock from the chrome outlined bezel to the brushed metal stripe at the top of the clock. This clock was such a joy to revive and I couldn't have wished for a better outcome for something that was sold untested/ for parts & repair.

Side note: Mackey, is there any way you can change the title of this thread? I'm not able to edit that. I typed the wrong model number for this clock. It's supposed to be a Sony TFM-C650W. Thanks!