1960s Seth Thomas “Romance” Brass Alarm Clock with Original Box
There is absolutely nothing shy about a clock called the Romance.
This petite 1960s Seth Thomas No. 974 packs an improbable amount of decoration into just a few inches: bright brass, curling floral scrollwork, little ornamental feet, a creamy white dial, and luminous hour markers. It has the look of a grand gilt parlor clock that somehow got shrunk down to bedside-table size.
The German-made mechanical movement is keywound and rated for approximately 40 hours. The clock has been tested, ticks steadily, and keeps time. The alarm mechanism itself has also been tested and sounds, although the rear alarm-setting arbor has been snapped off. Because of this, the alarm time can no longer be adjusted normally. The clock should therefore be considered a working timekeeper with a functioning but non-settable alarm mechanism.
The original Seth Thomas box and instruction/service booklet are included, making this a particularly complete survivor.
📚 Historical Context
By the early 1960s, Seth Thomas had already been putting its name on clocks for nearly a century and a half. The company became part of General Time in 1931, and after severe flooding damaged the Thomaston factory in 1955, Seth Thomas increasingly turned to German-made movements for some of its clocks. That is exactly the arrangement hiding inside this little gold showpiece: an old American clockmaking name on the dial, German mechanics doing the work behind it, and enough decorative brass on the front to make sure nobody overlooked it.
And we can get unusually specific with this model. A 1962 jewelry catalog lists the Seth Thomas Romance for $10.95, while other period advertising called it a “boudoir alarm clock,” essentially marketing it for the nightstand or dressing table. The surviving instruction booklet adds another little timestamp of its own: its repair-center addresses still use old city postal zones such as “Pittsburgh 22, PA,” part of the postal system used before nationwide ZIP Codes arrived in 1963.
So this is a small clock carrying a surprisingly large slice of postwar clockmaking history.
✨ Condition Notes
- Brass case is in excellent vintage condition overall, with a strong, bright gold finish and only light age-related surface wear.
- Ornate floral and scroll detailing remains crisp and well defined.
- White dial presents very nicely.
- A small green-toned age spot appears beside the 12, giving the otherwise clean dial one honest little fleck of its sixty-plus years.
- Glass is clear.
- Clock ticks and keeps time.
- Alarm mechanism has been tested and sounds.
- Important: the rear alarm-setting arbor has been snapped off, so the alarm time can no longer be adjusted normally.
- Rear movement housing shows normal light age and handling wear.
- Original blue Seth Thomas box is included and shows noticeable edge, corner, and surface wear from storage.
- Original instruction and service booklet is included with light age toning.
- The original box identifies this model as having a luminous dial. No claim is being made regarding the current glow or the composition of the original luminous material.
📏 Measurements (approximate)
Height: 3.75 in
Width: 3.5 in
Depth: 1.75 in
📦 Packaging
Clock will be professionally padded and boxed with care.
There is absolutely nothing shy about a clock called the Romance.
This petite 1960s Seth Thomas No. 974 packs an improbable amount of decoration into just a few inches: bright brass, curling floral scrollwork, little ornamental feet, a creamy white dial, and luminous hour markers. It has the look of a grand gilt parlor clock that somehow got shrunk down to bedside-table size.
The German-made mechanical movement is keywound and rated for approximately 40 hours. The clock has been tested, ticks steadily, and keeps time. The alarm mechanism itself has also been tested and sounds, although the rear alarm-setting arbor has been snapped off. Because of this, the alarm time can no longer be adjusted normally. The clock should therefore be considered a working timekeeper with a functioning but non-settable alarm mechanism.
The original Seth Thomas box and instruction/service booklet are included, making this a particularly complete survivor.
📚 Historical Context
By the early 1960s, Seth Thomas had already been putting its name on clocks for nearly a century and a half. The company became part of General Time in 1931, and after severe flooding damaged the Thomaston factory in 1955, Seth Thomas increasingly turned to German-made movements for some of its clocks. That is exactly the arrangement hiding inside this little gold showpiece: an old American clockmaking name on the dial, German mechanics doing the work behind it, and enough decorative brass on the front to make sure nobody overlooked it.
And we can get unusually specific with this model. A 1962 jewelry catalog lists the Seth Thomas Romance for $10.95, while other period advertising called it a “boudoir alarm clock,” essentially marketing it for the nightstand or dressing table. The surviving instruction booklet adds another little timestamp of its own: its repair-center addresses still use old city postal zones such as “Pittsburgh 22, PA,” part of the postal system used before nationwide ZIP Codes arrived in 1963.
So this is a small clock carrying a surprisingly large slice of postwar clockmaking history.
✨ Condition Notes
- Brass case is in excellent vintage condition overall, with a strong, bright gold finish and only light age-related surface wear.
- Ornate floral and scroll detailing remains crisp and well defined.
- White dial presents very nicely.
- A small green-toned age spot appears beside the 12, giving the otherwise clean dial one honest little fleck of its sixty-plus years.
- Glass is clear.
- Clock ticks and keeps time.
- Alarm mechanism has been tested and sounds.
- Important: the rear alarm-setting arbor has been snapped off, so the alarm time can no longer be adjusted normally.
- Rear movement housing shows normal light age and handling wear.
- Original blue Seth Thomas box is included and shows noticeable edge, corner, and surface wear from storage.
- Original instruction and service booklet is included with light age toning.
- The original box identifies this model as having a luminous dial. No claim is being made regarding the current glow or the composition of the original luminous material.
📏 Measurements (approximate)
Height: 3.75 in
Width: 3.5 in
Depth: 1.75 in
📦 Packaging
Clock will be professionally padded and boxed with care.
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