I would like to share an interesting fact about this NOS clock for Datsun 240Z I recently obtain from a collector.

It comes with a tag from Jeco stating in Japanese as followed:

"In order to maintain accuracy of this clock, it is recommended to take it apart for a clean up once a year"

So, do we need to take it apart every year now?

No. Just take it apart when it stops ticking. About every 6 months.

Mine ran 20+ years before it stopped and I had to clean it. I guess I have to quickly clean it 38 more times to catch up.

Yes, the 240Z clocks lastest much longer than the gen1 280Z clocks. In fact, I carved out the guts from my 76 280Z clock, and grafted the 240Z mechanical internals. So it looks like a 280 clock but works and sounds like a 240 clock. They just need some cleaning and light lube after 30 years or so. Cleaning every year, seems overkill, or a disclaimer. Very interesting tag though.

Edited July 29, 201113 yr by cygnusx1

The clock in my 78 worked when I bought it in 1997 and still worked when I sold it in 2009. In fact, when I saw the car in February this year it was still working. I never had it apart.

Yup, the 77 and 78 clocks were the ones that almost ALWAYS work.

As a retired watchmaker / clockmaker, it was standard operating procedure, at that time, to have yearly service to a time piece to insure proper & correct function. That came printed with every watch / clock sold. It was started in the 1880's as mandatory for the Rail Road industry for mechanical watches, that spilled over into the electro-mechanical group. Over time, the fine oil used to lubricate will dry or thicken and slow it down or stop.

I've noticed my clock is getting slower after running 7 years, stopped for 28 years, running for 3 years, now slowing down, but then so am I.

Very nice find esprist.

Bonzi Lon

My self-winding Rolex (1970's era) should have a maintenance check/cleaning every year, but at over $500 a pop needless to say - it gets serviced when needed. I did have it cleaned this spring. I cleaned the Datsuns' clock last fall and it is still clicking away - it looses approx 5 minutes every week but it is real easy to reset the time when I notice it is slow. I would have to guess at this point an annual cleaning is a little too late to matter..................

I am happy that my clock runs at all. It is the first "car clock" from that era that I personally ever saw run period. I have noticed that it keeps much better time when the car is running than when it sits unused for long periods of time. It also seems to keep better time in the summer...

I still need to adjust it about once a day on days that I drive the car. It loses time, but the differential isn't consistent.