The Lux Mystery Rotary Clock - or - The Tape Measure Clock

[Mackey]

The Mystery Rotary Clock by Lux Clock Company was designed and patented by Herman F. Lux in April 1935 and marketed in two sizes. The larger, more common was 5 inches in diameter, but a smaller 3 inch version was made (and is considerably more rare). Shown in the video below is the 5 inch version in what was called "Green Pearlene" color (as seen from the box that came with the clock).

Without fail, you'll see this clock listed as "The Tape Measure Clock" although this was never it's official name. In advertisements it was called "The Mystery Clock" or "The Mystery Rotary Clock" (as written on the box). In many instances the clock can be found nearly new with a tag reading "Rotary Clock."

The clock is a type of what is called an annular clock. Annular clocks display the time on a tape-like dial encircling the case. Typically in these clocks, the "tape" dial usually revolved with the time being indicated by a fixed pointer.

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I have been wanting one of these clocks for some time. And this Christmas, my son gave me an eBay gift card. So, I decided to go for it. It's curious. Someone wrote "January 31, 1936 on the bottom of the clock. The clock arrived at my home on January 31, 2018 - 82 years later. I really like considering older things. You know the people who owned them are surely dead and gone. It's like touching the past.

[Performa]

Beautiful and strange! Quite the cool clock sir, I'd never heard of anything like these before.