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Timeless timepieces: Don Hamilton passed the time during the pandemic by restoring iconic midcentury clocks

Longtime photographer and filmmaker Don Hamilton has refurbished and rebuilt some of the classic midcentury modern Jefferson Golden Hour clocks he has collected in his tiny home workshop in Spokane. The clocks were popular as gifts in the 1950s and 1960s, and they were made through 1991. The signature motif is that the hands of the clock appear to float on a rotating glass bezel. (Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review)
Longtime photographer and filmmaker Don Hamilton has refurbished and rebuilt some of the classic midcentury modern Jefferson Golden Hour clocks he has collected in his tiny home workshop in Spokane. The clocks were popular as gifts in the 1950s and 1960s, and they were made through 1991. The signature motif is that the hands of the clock appear to float on a rotating glass bezel. (Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo
By Cindy Hval For The Spokesman-Review

Like many of us, Don Hamilton found himself with time on his hands during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The photographer/cinematographer pivoted to help nonprofits transform their annual in-person fundraising galas into streamlined video productions.

“We helped them raise a million dollars during COVID,” he said.

But he still had downtime and that got him thinking about clocks –specifically the one he learned to tell time on – the Jefferson Golden Hour clock.

“We had one on top of the TV,” said Hamilton. “They are 110-volt precision timepieces.”

Made by the Jefferson Electric Co. in Bellwood, Illinois, the clocks were an iconic midcentury marvel. The hands of the Golden Hour appear to float within the glass with no visible source of movement. Made of cast metal with a lustrous 24-karat gold-plated finish, the clocks are a model of understated elegance.

“They were the most popular housewarming gift of the day!” he said.

The dial frame ring has raised numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock, and raised radial lines at the other hours. About two million Golden Hours were sold until 1991, when production ceased.

“Inside the base, a motor with a gear drives the glass plate, one revolution per hour,” explained Hamilton. “It’s a fabulous design. I love everything about them.”

Hamilton searched for these treasures on eBay.

“A lot of people didn’t know what they had,” he said. “The motor fails or the adhesive that holds the glass to the ring fails.”

He began to collect and repair them.

“It’s what I did during the pandemic.”

His garage workshop reveals it’s what he’s still doing.

Longtime photographer and filmmaker Don Hamilton has refurbished and rebuilt some of the classic midcentury modern Jefferson Golden Hour clocks he has collected in his tiny home workshop in Spokane. The clocks were popular as gifts in the 1950s and 1960s, and they were made through 1991. The signature motif is that the hands of the clock appear to float on a rotating glass bezel. (Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review)
Longtime photographer and filmmaker Don Hamilton has refurbished and rebuilt some of the classic midcentury modern Jefferson Golden Hour clocks he has collected in his tiny home workshop in Spokane. The clocks were popular as gifts in the 1950s and 1960s, and they were made through 1991. The signature motif is that the hands of the clock appear to float on a rotating glass bezel. (Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo

Golden Hour clocks in various stages of repair fill several worktops. He discovered motors and power cords to replace failing parts online and carefully rebuilds the timepieces.

In the lobby of his studio, a display of Jefferson clocks includes The Golden Minute, the Golden Secret, the Golden Helm, the Golden View and the Golden Hour, along with a framed ad for the clocks showing they sold for $23.95 at the time.

But the Golden Hour remains his obsession. You’ll find one in almost every room of the Hamilton Studio in West Central Spokane.

During the pandemic, he restored 50 Jefferson Golden Hour Clocks, gifting many to friends, like Spokane Symphony conductor James Lowe.

“One of these is keeping perfect time in Scotland,” he said, lightly tapping a clock.

After those first 50, Hamilton’s wife stepped in.

He smiled.

“Lorna said I have to sell them if I want to keep doing them.”

When he sells a Golden Hour, he includes a copy of the 1953 patent and a reproduction of the original owner’s manual.

The manufacture date is usually found stamped on the inside of the base of the clocks. Hamilton is still searching for one made on Aug. 21, 1952.

“That’s my birthday,” he explained. “That clock is my great white whale.”

The closest he’s come is one stamped Aug. 18, 1952.

For Hamilton, the joy is in the restoration.

“In two hours, I can restore one from start to finish,” he said. “I’ve reached the point where I’ve got it to a Zen bit of recreation. I’m bringing something beautiful back to life.”

For more information about Jefferson Golden Hour Clocks visit https://www.hamiltonstudio.com/goldenhour.

Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com