Produced sometime between 1969 and 1973 (see "Manufacturing Details" below for how we came to this best guess), the Coca Cola flip clock sign features an over-sized, white Caslon flip clock set within translucent, cola brown plastic and prominently featuring an iconic red Coca Cola square logo.The clock was originally an integral part of a larger display. This particular clock was discovered on eBay and had numerous cracks and showed signs of attempts to make the clock more free-standing by sawing off plastic components from the right side of the clock.
Restoration: FlipClockFans.com administrator finished removal of the extra, now unnecessary and somewhat unsightly portions of the display. The semitransparent brown plastic accepted sanding and polishing well, but curiously, any sanding or polishing seemed to create a substantial amount of heat very quickly. Sawing the plastic was tricky as the developing heat caused plastic material to melt away more than being removed by abrasion. With much manual work the clock was eventually taken to a very pleasing shape, resulting in a unique clock that displays very well.
Manufacturing Details (Date of Manufacture):
The Coca Cola Flip Clock Sign was manufactured by the Display Corporation International which is now known as DCI Marketing. This company's name changed to DCI Marketing, Inc. in August 1984 which quickly helps establish the latest date possible for manufacture of this item. The clock mechanism was provided by Ropat-Caslon Inc as indicated by a label present on the mechanism (not visible from the outside of the clock). While Caslon clocks were produced as early as 1966, the Ropat-Caslon Inc company was incorporated under this name on March 20, 1969. Which establishes the earliest possible creation date for this Coca Cola flip clock sign. In addition, the logo used on this clock is called the Arden Square logo, which itself was first released in 1969. So without a doubt, the Coca Cola flip clock sign was produced sometime between 1969 and 1984. Because Calson clocks seem to have disappeared from advertising by 1973, it is the opinion of FlipClockFans.com that the clock dates from 1969 to 1973. Consideration of the nature of Coca Cola bolsters this position. Since the Coca Cola Corporation always seems to be on the cutting edge, the closer you get to 1980, the less likely they would be using a flip clock in a display and more likely they would have used electronic digital (the next big thing) for a clock in one of their displays. 1969-1970 was the start of the Space Age, and the beginning of the hey-day of flip clocks - so a manufacture date closer to 1970 seems very likely.
The Arden Square Logo
The clock features one of the most iconic Coca-Cola Logos. In 1969 Coke came out with this new logo, now referred to as the "Arden Square" which featured for the first time, the new "Dynamic Ribbon Device" or "White Swirl" beneath the coca-cola script. In was in this era (1971) that the "Hilltop" advertisement came out, as as well as the first time the famous "It's the Real Thing" slogan was used.
Details from label at the back of sign:
Produced by Display Corporation International
Milwaukee, Wisonson
MODEL 5351-B
120 V - AC - 50HZ - 3 W
Restoration Video
Check out more details about the restoration or perhaps we should say "re-building" or "re-purposing" of this flip clock sign
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