Dunbar was introduced in 1941 and was the first Westclox electric wall clock with a square dial. Production was halted during the war and was restarted in 1947, the year of this clock. Post-war industrial design and construction was very sturdy and heavy-duty, with solid steel parts and multiple connections to hold things securely in place. Things were still made to last. Introduction of plastics heralded a sea change to come but it was not yet here.

This clock was operated for many years in a hostile environment (presumably a smoky kitchen) and showed the results inside. Dust, dirt, oil, and accumulations of baked on oil were evident, which is not at all unusual.

This clock can be fully dissasembled. There are four rubber grommets that hold the bottom movement plate to the dial plate which often deteriorate and fail. These were still intact. The dial on its metal back can be removed, but the second hand and seconds gear remain on the dial.

On initial testing, the seconds movement was erratic - non-starting, running too fast or too slow, and generating an intermittent noise. Despite the dirt, the gears, pinions and pivot holes were in good condition and not worn; they were not the problem. On these, the rotors can be easily dissasembled and that showed the problem, baked on pads of oil that were interfering with smooth operation of the rotor. Brushing to loosen the crud and finishing in the sonic cleaner fixed the problem. Note the good condition of the coil, with still intact paper gaskets and good sleeves on the coil leads.

Working on these solid, dependable clocks can be enjoyable and rewarding. They were meant to be kept and maintained for a long time.