Hubley Tic Toy Clock

The Tic Toy Clock # 695 was first cataloged by Hubley in 1959. It's about 12" tall and can be taken apart and hopefully put back together. Completely different than any previous Hubley toy offering it won a Merit Award from Science and Mechanics Magazine as one of the best toys of '59. Some of you collectors might have noticed a similarity of the Tic Toy and Ideal's Mr. Machine with the common visible gears and take apart function. Well that's because they were both designed by Marvin Glass & Associates the famous toy engineering think tank that also designed Rock'em Sock'em Robots, Operation, Robot Commando, King Zor, Mouse Trap, Lite Brite, Inch Worm, Kenner SSP's, etc. etc. and probably a lot of the other famous toys you remember. The Tic Toy predates Mr Machine by a year. Hubley was trying to diversify to keep up with the changing tastes of the boomers. Indeed the Tic Toy looks like something Ideal would make, not like the diecast trucks, cars and cap guns of Hubley. You never seem to find one of these that will run, this one is no exception. There doesn't seem to be enough force to move the escapement gear and pendulum. I had to release the escapement mechanism to get it to unwind. The mainspring may have been wound up for 60 years and lost its tension. I'm going to keep playing around with(it's fun to take apart and put together) but the mainspring is sealed inside a plastic gear and I don't think it'll ever have enough force to run it. I doubt if it's a very accurate time piece when running anyway. This makes me hunger for a Mr. Machine, the original take apart version, not the disappointing mid 70's sealed rerelease. I'm guessing it's time to go but I don't know what time it is.
Thanks,
Bill