By: Daniel Nardini
With its back-and-forth rolling eyes and its wagging tail, the black and white Kit Cat Clock has been on the walls of just about every kitchen and living room in American homes for close to three generations. Many Americans never consciously think about this wall clock that is constantly there and lasts years. And yet, the back-and-forth rolling eyes has appeal for so many of us, and it seems almost like a companion in good and bad times. For us it is a kind of entertainment on the wall—we cannot but help look at it to both keep our time and give us some assurance that our Kit Cat companion is always there. And our Kit Cat Clock companion has been there for a very long time. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the creation of the Kit Cat Clock. This American friend first started in the throes of the Great Depression. It was invented in 1932 at a time when America was at its lowest. This little friend provided relief and cheer when so many tens of millions of Americans were out of work and suffering. Because of this so many Americans today as then keep purchasing this keepsake for their home walls.
It is estimated that every three minutes a Kit Cat Clock is being purchased, and has been purchased for the last 80 years. This famous wall clock is the only one still produced in the U.S.A. The California Clock Company first produced an electric version of the Kit Cat Clock that you plugged in. The back-and-forth rolling eyes and face of the clock has not changed over the decades, although the upper paws on the clock were added in the 1940’s. The clock enjoyed brisk sales over the next 50 years until the late 1980’s when the high cost of plastic and especially the inner metal parts to make the motor nearly forced the company out of business. This dilemma forced the California Clock Company to make two painful choices: either go out of business or try and reinvent the clock to save the company. The latter solution was much easier said than done—no one at the time had invented any lightweight motor that could be powered by anything other than electricity. But the people at the California Clock Company had their jobs on the line and they could not let such an important product like the Kit Cat Clock, the clock that saw America through the Great Depression, become history.
So the employees at the California Clock Company reworked the whole clock—using lighter plastic for durability and changing the motor so that the clock could be driven by battery. Their efforts paid off. Today the Kit Cat Clock is battery-powered and can easily be resupplied with batteries for years. The Kit Cat Clock over the years has been featured in movies, commercials, and even in TV shows. The California Clock Company has also set up a website for those interested in not only learning more about the Kit Cat Clock but also be able to purchase one and have it repaired in case something breaks. There is even a Kit Cat Clock fan club. In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Kit Cat Clock, the California Clock Company built a three-story Kit Cat Clock along with a glass malt to symbolize the 1940’s and a jukebox to symbolize the 1950’s all on a giant mobile float for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. The Kit Cat Clock is truly an American icon, and it hopefully shall remain around for the next 80 years. For more information on the Kit Cat Clock, go to the website www.kit-cat.com.
Kit Cat Clock
By: Daniel Nardini
It is estimated that every three minutes a Kit Cat Clock is being purchased, and has been purchased for the last 80 years. This famous wall clock is the only one still produced in the U.S.A. The California Clock Company first produced an electric version of the Kit Cat Clock that you plugged in. The back-and-forth rolling eyes and face of the clock has not changed over the decades, although the upper paws on the clock were added in the 1940’s. The clock enjoyed brisk sales over the next 50 years until the late 1980’s when the high cost of plastic and especially the inner metal parts to make the motor nearly forced the company out of business. This dilemma forced the California Clock Company to make two painful choices: either go out of business or try and reinvent the clock to save the company. The latter solution was much easier said than done—no one at the time had invented any lightweight motor that could be powered by anything other than electricity. But the people at the California Clock Company had their jobs on the line and they could not let such an important product like the Kit Cat Clock, the clock that saw America through the Great Depression, become history.
So the employees at the California Clock Company reworked the whole clock—using lighter plastic for durability and changing the motor so that the clock could be driven by battery. Their efforts paid off. Today the Kit Cat Clock is battery-powered and can easily be resupplied with batteries for years. The Kit Cat Clock over the years has been featured in movies, commercials, and even in TV shows. The California Clock Company has also set up a website for those interested in not only learning more about the Kit Cat Clock but also be able to purchase one and have it repaired in case something breaks. There is even a Kit Cat Clock fan club. In celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Kit Cat Clock, the California Clock Company built a three-story Kit Cat Clock along with a glass malt to symbolize the 1940’s and a jukebox to symbolize the 1950’s all on a giant mobile float for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. The Kit Cat Clock is truly an American icon, and it hopefully shall remain around for the next 80 years. For more information on the Kit Cat Clock, go to the website www.kit-cat.com.