Uploaded October 2015 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Introduced in 1948, Westclox's Moonbeam alarm clock was introduced to provide an easier and gentler way to wake oneself up in the morning. Instead of waking to the sound of the bell ringer or a buzzer (at least initially), a 25 watt incandescent lightbulb would begin to flash repeatedly, in an effort to gently wake you with not so much as a sound. In the odd case that you weren't woken by the light's flashing, a mechanical buzzer would sound after around five minutes past the original alarm's time. This Moonbeam is one of the earlier models, as it has a power failure indicator located below the number 12 on the dial. Useful for indicating power outages (and to alert you the time it is displaying is incorrect), the indicator would turn red when and if the power is interrupted. Flipping the clock upside down would reset the indicator. The power interruption/failure indicator was dropped in 1954 in an effort to cut costs.
It was a unique concept, and proved to be a fairly popular one, as Westclox went so far as to make several other revisions to their original Moonbeam clock. In 1963, the Moonbeam underwent the first of several other design changes, this time morphing into a rectangular design similar to other alarm clocks of the time. In 1976, the Moonbeam had another facelift, but maintained a similar design and layout. Additionally, in 1974, a mechanical flip clock version was introduced which predated the later LED versions introduced in 1979. Throughout all the design changes, the flashing light portion of the clock was always retained on the left side of the dial.
These clocks are still plentiful, both online and offline, but finding them in perfect working condition from the get-go is becoming increasingly difficult. If you're not up to the chore of finding and/or restoring an original Moonbeam, Westclox has taken to manufacturing reproductions in China since 2001. While nowhere near as sturdy or robust, the reproductions have a lighted dial, snooze button, a bell ringer, and an LED light in place of the incandescent bulb found in the originals. The only major difference is the exclusion of the Westclox name; in its place is the Big Ben logo and name.
*Note to discerning viewers: the introduction of the video got a bit botched in the recording stages, and accordingly, is a bit jumpy.*
Introduced in 1948, Westclox's Moonbeam alarm clock was introduced to provide an easier and gentler way to wake oneself up in the morning. Instead of waking to the sound of the bell ringer or a buzzer (at least initially), a 25 watt incandescent lightbulb would begin to flash repeatedly, in an effort to gently wake you with not so much as a sound. In the odd case that you weren't woken by the light's flashing, a mechanical buzzer would sound after around five minutes past the original alarm's time. This Moonbeam is one of the earlier models, as it has a power failure indicator located below the number 12 on the dial. Useful for indicating power outages (and to alert you the time it is displaying is incorrect), the indicator would turn red when and if the power is interrupted. Flipping the clock upside down would reset the indicator. The power interruption/failure indicator was dropped in 1954 in an effort to cut costs.
It was a unique concept, and proved to be a fairly popular one, as Westclox went so far as to make several other revisions to their original Moonbeam clock. In 1963, the Moonbeam underwent the first of several other design changes, this time morphing into a rectangular design similar to other alarm clocks of the time. In 1976, the Moonbeam had another facelift, but maintained a similar design and layout. Additionally, in 1974, a mechanical flip clock version was introduced which predated the later LED versions introduced in 1979. Throughout all the design changes, the flashing light portion of the clock was always retained on the left side of the dial.
These clocks are still plentiful, both online and offline, but finding them in perfect working condition from the get-go is becoming increasingly difficult. If you're not up to the chore of finding and/or restoring an original Moonbeam, Westclox has taken to manufacturing reproductions in China since 2001. While nowhere near as sturdy or robust, the reproductions have a lighted dial, snooze button, a bell ringer, and an LED light in place of the incandescent bulb found in the originals. The only major difference is the exclusion of the Westclox name; in its place is the Big Ben logo and name.
*Note to discerning viewers: the introduction of the video got a bit botched in the recording stages, and accordingly, is a bit jumpy.*
