Hello everyone. I received a gift of a new old stock in-the-box Nelson Watermelon Clock which was never used. It came with no instructions except a note in the box showing date of purchase on 2004. I understand this clock takes a 1.5V battery but I have no idea how to replace it, or set the clock's time, as there is no visible inner compartment latch that I can identify anywhere. Can anyone help me with some step instructions? I've scoured the web for info but find nothing. Many thanks in advance!
You threw me
...when you said "New Old Stock" and then said it was purchased in 2004. New old stock typically refers to a vintage item which was never used, not something just 10 years old.
All the original vintage watermelon clocks I've seen had a cord and plugged in? they were not battery operated.
If it's of recent manufacture it's going to have been made by Vitra. Is it marked accordingly, or are there now knock-offs of the reproductions? In either case, it is probably going to take a AA battery in the quartz movement which would be right behind the face. There has got to be a way to open the body and access that movement. Maybe the two halves (top and bottom) separate?
As for setting the time, those movements typically have a small wheel on the back which you can turn to set the time. If you need to adjust it for, say, daylight savings time, and you do not want to open the clock you can safely adjust it by slowly turning the hour hand so long as you turn it clockwise. I would not turn it backwards.
Good luck.
Solution found thanks to you!
Well, I want to thank you for your insightful observation. You are correct in that this is a Vitra Design Studio reproduction, not one of the original Howard Miller Nelson clocks with the cord on the back of it. My understanding is, though, that Vitra is licensed by the Nelson successors, but I'm not sure.
Now to the mechanics. Sure enough, the clock separates along the two halves (top and bottom)exactly as you suggested, but the trick is to take a Phillips screwdriver to the two deep-set recessed screws on the bottom half of the clock. When you unscrew these, the two halves come apart revealing the quartz mechanism front and center, with the battery compartment which, as you also pointed out, does take a single AA battery.
Now, I should point out that the clock mechanism itself is half-way embedded or anchored into the bottom half of the clock body, so that the other half (top side) protrudes. The green time-set wheel is smack in the middle, half in and half out, so it makes it a bit cumbersome to turn it in order to set the right time, but using my nail I was able to slowly turn it. It is a pain to have to take the whole thing apart just to replace the battery, or worse, to set the correct time, so I appreciate your suggestion to set the time externally by just slowly turning the hour hand clockwise. I should also point out that if one is not careful, repeated screwings and unscrewings will probably damage the clock body which is nothing more than two blocks of painted wood screwed together into the wood itself, and sooner or later the wood fatigue will fail to hold correctly. Just inserting the screwdriver into the holes must be done carefully or the finish may be scratched. I'm speculating here about the eventual wood fatigue, but just a thought. This is my first Nelson desk clock.
Many thanks again to everyone for helping out.
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