The interesting story of the Kit-Cat clock

Credit: MOMA Design Store

In your grandparents' kitchen, you probably have noticed a special clock that has become a valuable timepiece.

You probably have also seen this clock in media cameos or even in television commercials.

You might have recognized a cat clock that consisted of the signature wagging tail, perpetual smile and shifting eyes. According to the company website, Kit-Cat clocks have become an "indelible part of American history with their happy and catchy look."

The current Kit-Cat clock design (left) alongside the first design (right). Credit: Kit-Cat Klock official website

During the height of the Great Depression in 1932, designer Earl Arnault first invented the Kit-Cat Klock in Oregon. However, his name never appeared on the clock. The Kit-Cat lifted the spirits of many people during one America's roughest moments in history.

The first design consisted only of two bottom paws with four toes each, wagging tail and the cat's smile. In addition, only black and white clocks were sold.

The Allied Clock Company was the first company responsible for manufacturing these unique pendulum clocks. The first Kit-Cat clock models between the 1930s and 1940s had metal bodies and clock hands before Allied Clock switched to the increasingly popular method of plastic molding in the 1950s.

Originally based in Portland, Oregon, the Allied Clock Company moved to Seattle, Washington. In other words, Kit-Kat clocks were manufactured in the Pacific Northwest for several decades.

The 1940s and 1950s were decades of increasing popularity of the Kit-Cat clocks. In addition, it also marked new changes to the design. A bowtie and the front paws were added. This is the current Kit-Cat design.

Thanks to its popularity, Kit-Cat clocks became symbolic of 1950s America.

In 1962, the Allied Clock Company was renamed the California Clock Company after moving productions to Southern California. Two decades later, the owner of the California Clock Company convinced Woody Young to become the new owner and president and keep Kit-Cat going strong into the future.

Going into the 1980s, the legacy of the Kit-Cat clock was almost vanished. That was because the earlier models ran on electric motors with cords. At that time, a battery powerful enough to run the clock's one-second animation (which made the eyes and tail move) did not exist.

Since American electric motor manufacturing was relocated exclusively to Asia, the California Clock Company was tasked with developing a new battery technology for the Kit-Cat clock.

By 1990, Kit-Cat clocks became battery-operated. The California Clock Company developed the capability of two C-size batteries to supply the power for the eye and tail movements, as well as the keeping the time.

Kitty-Cats, which are the smaller version of the original Kit-Cat, were introduced in the late 1990s. These clocks are 3/4 the size of the original. In other words, these are the babies of the Kit-Cat family.

For comparison, a standard Kit-Cat clock is 15.5 inches tall.

Credit: Kit-Cat Klock official website

In 2001, the Lady Kit-Cat clock was introduced, swapping the bowtie for a pearl necklace and some eyelashes.

2012 marked the 80th anniversary of the Kit-Cat Klock. To celebrate this milestone, Kit-Cat sponsored a float made entirely of American-grown flowers and a towering Kit-Cat clock in the 2012 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

The California Clock Company keeps things fresh with the Kit-Cat clock in order to keep up with the latest trends. Kit-Cats are now available in all colors of the rainbow, not just the standard black and white ones.

Limited edition colors have been released, such as the Candy Cane clock and the Bengal Tiger clock to name a few.

I am happy to say that a proud owner of a Kit-Cat clock (the smaller version), which is displayed in my apartment bedroom.