Simple, precise and nicely made three wheeled battery clock movements produced between the turn of the century and WWI with various pendulum lengths to suit a variety of case styles: some long case wall regulators and a variety of mantel clocks.

Unusual in that the wheels are not "crossed out" (with spokes) and employing lantern pinions usually associated with inexpensive clocks, the movements all have highly polished hardened steel pivots and the dead beat escapement pallets are agate stone. The weighted arms provide the driving force. The two arms alternate. When the driving arm reaches the mid-point, it causes an electrical circuit to close, energizing an electromagnet. The electromagnet, through linkage, lifts the lower arm upward while the descending arm continues to provide force to the movement. The resetting action occurs about every seven and a half minutes.

The clocks are very reliable and accurate time keepers but share a common fault of many battery clocks: failure of the electrical contact closure. Worse, the contact may be poor and insufficient to energize the electromagnets causing continuous drain on the dry cells which if not attended, will deteriorate and over a long period, leaking corrosive fluids.

This example movement was found at an NAWCC Mart; very likely removed from a handsome case and replace with a modern quartz movement.

The mantel clock case styles offered by American Clock required a more compact movement than the long, straight-line movement but employed the same principles. The tall case was required to contain the tall #6 dry cells.

The American Clock Company was founded in 1901 as the Automatic Electric Company and was affiliated with the Hahl Pneumatic Clock Company.