New Haven
From Lock Company Side Project to Major Producer of American Time
The New Haven Clock Company began in an unexpected place: a lock factory. In 1853, the New Haven Clock Company was founded as an offshoot of the New Haven Lock Company in New Haven, Connecticut. Locks and clocks seem unlikely siblings, but both demanded intricate brass components, skilled assembly, and industrial precision—qualities the region already possessed in abundance.
Joining the Mass-Market Movement
New Haven entered the clock market at the perfect moment. The innovations of Eli Terry and others had already made mass-produced brass clocks financially viable, and public demand for timekeeping was booming. The company quickly established itself as a reliable, mid-range producer of:
Ogee clocks
Shelf clocks
Steeple clocks
Cottage clocks
Transitional brass movements
New Haven models often mirrored the trends of larger firms like Seth Thomas or E. Ingraham, but at more accessible price points. They found a receptive audience among America’s growing middle class.
Expansion Into Watches and Novelty Timepieces
By the late 19th century, New Haven sought to diversify. They entered the pocket-watch market with affordable, mass-produced movements, ultimately making millions of watches. Although not high-end, these timepieces helped introduce Americans to personal timekeeping long before wristwatches became fashionable.
New Haven also embraced the novelty boom, creating:
Figural clocks
Advertising clocks
Specialty designs for retailers
Their affordable prices helped flood the American market.
Early 20th Century Success — and Slow Decline
During the early 1900s, the company was still thriving, producing both clocks and watches in massive quantities. But competition grew fierce. Cheaper imports, rising labor costs, and the increasing popularity of wristwatches all chipped away at New Haven’s traditional markets.
The Great Depression delivered a heavy blow, and although New Haven limped along for decades afterward, its momentum was gone.
The End of an Era
By the 1950s and 60s, inexpensive Asian clocks and watches dominated the low-cost category New Haven once owned. Unable to modernize quickly enough or compete on price, the company ultimately filed for bankruptcy in 1960.
Production stopped. Equipment was sold. A once-busy factory fell silent.
The Legacy of the Lockmaker-Clockmaker
Today, New Haven clocks are beloved for their classic American styling and accessibility. They may not have pioneered the industry, but they democratized it, offering reliable timepieces to families who might never have afforded a Seth Thomas or Ansonia.
In their rise and fall, New Haven embodies the broader story of American mass production—ambitious, inventive, and ultimately overtaken by global forces it helped shape.
