Mechanical Alarm Clock Collection

Three mechanical wind-up alarm clocks from White Dove, produced during China’s mid-century industrial manufacturing period; functional, with illustrated dials and metal construction.

Category: Curated

File-Under: #IndustrialChina, #MechanicalDesign, #EverydayObjects

Description

Manufactured by White Dove, these mechanical alarm clocks reflect a period in Chinese industry when domestic production emphasized durable, metal-based goods before the later rise of light manufacturing and export plastics. Wind-up clocks of this era were assembled through discrete mechanical components, allowing for repair and long service life. Illustrated dials were common across household objects, blending utility with modest decoration. As global trade patterns shifted toward lower-cost materials in the late twentieth century, metal clocks like these became less common in both domestic and export markets. Today, they sit within the material record of everyday industrial design, marking a transition point in Chinese consumer goods before the plastic-based economy that followed.