Mystery Television

Originally posted by CELT
"Digital" clocks go back as far as the early '20s. Seth Thomas made one model movement for decades that simply worked like an odometer on your car. As the second block rounded to 60, it would in turn advance the minute blocks and the minute blocks would in advance the hour blocks. The blocks were usually white or brown phenolic. General Electric/Telechron also had an early mechanical/digital system that used white numbers printed on black leafs. Same scenario as above. The Telechron movements almost always had a neon light for illumination and rather than displaying seconds, they had a bizzare striped wheel that spun on the far right hand side. These usually had a timer or alarm function on them as well. These were commonly used in clock radios by many different brands.

I used to have a GE digital from the 70s that had the slow rotating numbers. I remember it made kind of a hissing sound when it turned the numbers. Red neon illumination as well.

My grandma still has the one you're talking about. The numbers were on black flaps and every minute it would "snap" as it flipped to the next one.

I also remember the electronic neon (not LED) clocks that had a motor and this thing in the display that looked like an asterisk * that changed size continuously. Not sure what those were called but I want one.