09/07/2026
🕰️ The Columbus Clock — A Souvenir from 1893 🕰️
Step back to 1893 with this fascinating piece of horological history!
These charming clocks were created as souvenirs for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, held to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage.
Designed to resemble the types of clocks that might have existed during Columbus’s time, the Columbus Clock incorporates an early verge and foliot escapement—a fascinating pre-pendulum timekeeping system that predates the development of the pendulum clock.
Thousands may have been made and distributed during the exposition, but remarkably few survive intact today. Their wooden construction made them especially vulnerable to the passage of time.
While modern replicas were produced in the 1970s, the clock in our collection is something truly special—it is an original 1893 example, connecting us directly to one of America’s most famous world’s fairs. 🇺🇸🏛️
Come see this unique survivor and discover more fascinating stories of timekeeping at the West Coast Clock & Watch Museum!