Waterbury Clock Company Alarm Clock, circa 1921

By the late 19th century, spring-driven, key-wound alarm clocks helped Americans wake up and arrive on time for work, school and appointments. Manufacturers sometimes gave these inexpensive clocks imaginative names to help sell their products. The Waterbury Clock Company named this model "Sunbeam" -- perhaps to suggest being awakened by the sun's rays rather than the clock's harsh clanging bell.