Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Thank you to Hungry Minds for sponsoring this video. To get 10% off your copy of The Book: the Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization, please follow the link bit.ly/4bxROBW and enter the promo code OUROWNDEVICES10
NOTES:
1. I forgot to mention that the "minutes" disk actually displays hundredths of an hour in order to make calculations easier for the payroll clerk.
2. A viewer pointed out that the large brass disk in the mechanism allows the clock to ring an electric bell to signal start/end of shift, lunch etc. Metal pins were placed in the appropriate hole(s) on the disk in order to strike and close an electric switch.
First introduced in the 1850s, Time Recorders - also known as Time Clocks, Punch Clocks, Clock Card Machines, or "Bundys" - were designed to help employers keep track of their employees hours when working flexible shifts. While dozens of different designs were developed and used over the years, the most common type used individual paper cards given to each employee and stamped with a clock-in and clock-in time at the start and end of each shift. These were later collected by the payroll clerk to calculate hours worked during each pay period.
Business Forms Ruler video: youtu.be/9VXCg0lFFo4
TIFO IBM video: youtube.com/watch?v=5U2lDiE0vwI&pp=ygUkdG9kYXkgaSBmb3VuZCBvdXQgSUJNIGV0aGljYWwgaGFja2Vy
Lightning Adding Machine video: youtu.be/lsP0mt3HuA0
Swift Handy Calculator video: youtu.be/7YtusYdBxJI
Meiwa Alexe Calculator video: youtu.be/tPGqaX_8xjk
Magic Brain Calculator video: youtu.be/6l3zCWL1y3Q
Wolverine Toy Adding Machine video: youtu.be/Lanj0f2-Myg
0:00 Intro
1:41 Hungry Minds Sponsorship
3:37 Time Recorder Evolution
7:06 Watch Clocks
7:45 Market Consolidation
8:33 Simplex History
9:18 Simplex TCF Overview
10:51 Telechron Motors
12:39 Stamping Wheel System
13:40 Stamping System
14:17 Outro
SOURCES
workclocks.co.uk/types
web.archive.org/web/20041228010554/http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/cc/cc_room.html
antiquetimeclocks.com/manufacturers/simplex.html
https://www.bobshop.co.za/a-superb-rare-vintage-c1950s-usa-made-electric-simplex-time-recorder-model-tcf10r4-clock-working/p/237333036?srsltid=AfmBOooYcCPfgKNNX_h3Sl4itU7cNnnGic2dF3-Yc11UqydIRR_16EJt
Thank you to Hungry Minds for sponsoring this video. To get 10% off your copy of The Book: the Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization, please follow the link bit.ly/4bxROBW and enter the promo code OUROWNDEVICES10
NOTES:
1. I forgot to mention that the "minutes" disk actually displays hundredths of an hour in order to make calculations easier for the payroll clerk.
2. A viewer pointed out that the large brass disk in the mechanism allows the clock to ring an electric bell to signal start/end of shift, lunch etc. Metal pins were placed in the appropriate hole(s) on the disk in order to strike and close an electric switch.
First introduced in the 1850s, Time Recorders - also known as Time Clocks, Punch Clocks, Clock Card Machines, or "Bundys" - were designed to help employers keep track of their employees hours when working flexible shifts. While dozens of different designs were developed and used over the years, the most common type used individual paper cards given to each employee and stamped with a clock-in and clock-in time at the start and end of each shift. These were later collected by the payroll clerk to calculate hours worked during each pay period.
Business Forms Ruler video: youtu.be/9VXCg0lFFo4
TIFO IBM video: youtube.com/watch?v=5U2lDiE0vwI&pp=ygUkdG9kYXkgaSBmb3VuZCBvdXQgSUJNIGV0aGljYWwgaGFja2Vy
Lightning Adding Machine video: youtu.be/lsP0mt3HuA0
Swift Handy Calculator video: youtu.be/7YtusYdBxJI
Meiwa Alexe Calculator video: youtu.be/tPGqaX_8xjk
Magic Brain Calculator video: youtu.be/6l3zCWL1y3Q
Wolverine Toy Adding Machine video: youtu.be/Lanj0f2-Myg
0:00 Intro
1:41 Hungry Minds Sponsorship
3:37 Time Recorder Evolution
7:06 Watch Clocks
7:45 Market Consolidation
8:33 Simplex History
9:18 Simplex TCF Overview
10:51 Telechron Motors
12:39 Stamping Wheel System
13:40 Stamping System
14:17 Outro
SOURCES
workclocks.co.uk/types
web.archive.org/web/20041228010554/http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/cc/cc_room.html
antiquetimeclocks.com/manufacturers/simplex.html
https://www.bobshop.co.za/a-superb-rare-vintage-c1950s-usa-made-electric-simplex-time-recorder-model-tcf10r4-clock-working/p/237333036?srsltid=AfmBOooYcCPfgKNNX_h3Sl4itU7cNnnGic2dF3-Yc11UqydIRR_16EJt
