De-bunks the

Myths

about windup alarm clocks.

Myth:  My clock is over-wound.

Truth:    If a clock is fully wound and won't run, there is something wrong with the movement.  There is no condition where you can "over-wind" a clock. (unless it comes apart in your hand.)

Myth:  All good alarm clocks should be wound to the right.

Truth:  This is a myth we hear all the time.  All the major alarm clock manufacturers, such as Westclox, Ingraham, Gilbert, and Seth Thomas, have made clocks that wind in both directions.   This was true from the early 1900s until today.  There is no basis for this myth.  It was probably started by someone who couldn't get used to winding a new clock in the opposite direction of the clock they had before!

Myth:  The luminous material on my clock dial doesn't glow all night.

Truth:    In past years, the luminous material on clock hands and dials contained radium. (a radioactive material)  Once use of the material was outlawed for health reasons, other materials were developed that do not reflect light as long in the dark as the old, dangerous material.  This is not a myth necessarily, but a misunderstanding of the facts about the materials.  Even the radium-based material had a limited time to be reflective at night, based on its exposure to light during the day.  We seem to have forgotten this.