The Golden Age of Telechron
Starting in 1932, Telechron and G.E. clocks began giving initial model numbers to their clocks to match their function.
1 Series - commercial clocks 5 Series - mantel clocks
2 Series - kitchen clocks 6 Series - strike clocks (hour and half hour--no chimes)
3 Series - small desk clocks 7 Series - alarm clocks
4 Series - occasional clocks 8 Series - novelty clocks, timers and radios
The model number also included what type of rotor powered the clock. (ie. the 3F03 was a small desk clock with an F rotor.) Mechanically, the Telechon F rotor was just the tail end of a B rotor minus the final 36-tooth gear. The result was a much thinner rotor that allowed for considerably smaller clocks. The rotor was housed in a thick, cast case and because the second hand was now mounted to a shaft instead of the rotor, you could change it without taking the clock apart. In fact all the F rotor clocks were redesigned to be easier to build and contained far fewer parts than earlier clocks.
The G.E. and Telechron models diverge at this point. While in the past, most designs were sold by both companies (with or without a different model number), G.E. now sold unique clocks but using the same numbering scheme. Odd-numbered models were Telechrons. Evens, General Electric.
The company introduced more, strikingly different models during this time than before or after. They spent huge amounts on magazine and newspaper ads and brochures. They had a lot to brag about. The art deco designs of the pre-War period are still the most collected and prized of all. I'm just going to shut up now and let the clocks speak for themselves.
For something to listen to click HERE. It's an episode of the Jell-O Program from 1938. Jack Benny and friends hosted the Jell-O program from 1934 to 1942 (when they started hosting the Grape Nuts Flakes program--yum!). Jack's was probably the most famous and beloved radio show of all time.
1 SERIES 1A108 1F108 1A110 1F110 1A112 1F112 1A115 1B115
1 SERIES 1B118 1B124 1F208 1F308 1F312 1L312 1F408 1F412
1 SERIES 1B415 1L415 1B515 1L515 1F608 1F612 1B812 1B815
2 SERIES 2B01 2B02 2F01 2F02 2F03 2F04 CF205 2F06
2 SERIES 2H07 2H08 2H51 2F81
3 SERIES 3F01 3F02 3F03 3F04 3A05 F327 F328 3A51
3 SERIES 3F51 CF351 3F52 3F53 3F54 3F55 3F56 3F58
3 SERIES 3F59 3F60 3F61 3F62 CF363 3F64 3F65 3F66
3 SERIES 3F67 3F68 3F69 3F70 3F71 3F72 3H73 3F74
3 SERIES 3H76 3H78 3H80 3H82 3H84 3H86
4 SERIES 4A01 CF401 4F01 4A02 4F02 4F03 4F04 4F05
4 SERIES 4F06 4A50 4A51 4F51 CF451 4F52 4F53 4F54
4 SERIES 4F55 4F56 4F57 4F58 4F59 4F60 4F61 4F62
4 SERIES 4F63 4F64 4F65 4F66 4F67 4H68 4F69 4F71
4 SERIES 4H72 4F73 4H74 4F75 4H77 4B79 4H81 4H83
4 SERIES 4B85
5 SERIES 5A01 5F01 5A02 5F02 5F03 5F50 5F51 5F52
5 SERIES 5B53 5F54 5B55 5F56 5F58 5F60 5H64 5H66
6 SERIES 6B01 6H02 6B03 6B04 6B05 6B07 6B09 6H50
7 SERIES 7B01 7B02 7F01 7F03 CF705 7F52 7F53 7F54
7 SERIES 7F63 7F64 7F65 7F66 7F67 7F68 CF769 7F70
7 SERIES 7F71 7F72 7F73 7F74 7F75 7F76 7F77 7H77
7 SERIES 7H78 7H79 7H80 7H82 CH783 7H84 7H85 7H86
7 SERIES 7H87 7H88 7H90 7H92 AL
8 SERIES 8B01 8F01 8B02 8F02 8B03 8F03 8B04 8B05
8 SERIES 8B06 8B07 8B08 8B09 8B10 8B11 8B50 8F50
8 SERIES 8B51 8F51 8B52 8B53 8B54
NOTE ON FINDING YOUR MODEL: If you have a model whose leading two characters are "AB", just leave them off when looking in the table below. The meaning of this GE prefix isn't known (to me anyway), it was used for a couple of years on General Electric models then dropped.