You’ve seen it. If you’ve ever taken the PATH train from Manhattan to Jersey City or stood on the tip of Battery Park at sunset, that massive octagonal face is impossible to miss. It sits there, perched on the edge of the Hudson River, glowing a faint red against the dark water. The New Jersey Colgate Clock is one of those things that feels like it has just always been there, a permanent fixture of the skyline, even though the factory it once sat upon is long gone.
It’s huge. Honestly, the scale is hard to wrap your head around until you’re standing right under it at the Goldman Sachs tower. We’re talking about a diameter of 50 feet. To put that in perspective, the face of Big Ben in London is only about 23 feet. This thing is a monster. But it’s a monster with a weirdly sentimental heartbeat. For decades, it told workers when their shift started and reminded commuters they were almost home. Now, it’s mostly a landmark for runners on the waterfront and tourists who wonder why there’s a giant clock in front of a glass skyscraper.
A Giant Replacement and a Vanishing Factory
The clock you see today isn’t even the original one. That’s a detail that trips people up. The first New Jersey Colgate Clock was built in 1906 by Seth Thomas (the legendary clockmaker) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Colgate-Palmolive company. That original clock lived on top of the factory in Jersey City, but eventually, it got shipped off to Jeffersonville, Indiana, where it still sits today on another Colgate facility.
The current version—the one we all recognize—was erected in 1924. It was designed by a Colgate engineer named Warren Davey. He didn't just want a bigger clock; he wanted a statement. For years, this thing was a beacon for the industrial might of Jersey City. At the time, the city was a manufacturing powerhouse. Soaps, perfumes, and toothpastes were being churned out right there on the waterfront. When the company decided to pack up and move its manufacturing operations to Kansas in 1988, there was a legitimate fear that the clock would go with them.
People flipped.
The clock had become a part of the local identity. It wasn't just corporate branding; it was a navigational North Star. After some heavy back-and-forth, a deal was struck. The factory was demolished—gone forever—but the clock stayed. It was moved about 400 feet south of its original location to a plot of land owned by the state. It looks a little lonely now, sitting on an empty lot next to the massive, shimmering Goldman Sachs building at 30 Hudson Street, but its survival is a testament to how much people hate losing their landmarks.
The Engineering Behind the Glow
How does a 50-foot clock actually work? It’s not just a giant watch battery.
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The minute hand is about 26 feet long. Think about that for a second. That hand weighs roughly 2,200 pounds. The hour hand is shorter, obviously, but still a beast at 20 feet. Because these hands are essentially massive sails, the wind coming off the Hudson River is a major problem. If the motor wasn't strong enough, a stiff breeze could literally push the time out of alignment or, worse, snap the mechanism.
The clock is powered by a relatively small motor compared to its size, but it’s geared for incredible torque. For a long time, the clock used thousands of incandescent bulbs to light up the hands and the octagonal border. You can imagine the maintenance nightmare of changing those bulbs in the middle of a Jersey winter. Eventually, they swapped those out for LED lights, which give it that distinct, crisp red glow you see today.
Technically, the clock is surprisingly accurate. It’s synced to a master clock system, though back in the day, a guy actually had to go up there and manually adjust things. Now, it’s mostly automated. It’s one of those rare instances where a piece of 100-year-old technology has been "Ship of Theseus-ed" into the modern era—parts replaced, lights upgraded, but the soul of the thing remains the same.
Why It Isn't a Designated Landmark (Yet)
Here is a weird quirk of New Jersey law and preservation: the Colgate Clock is not an official New York City-style landmark. It doesn't have that specific protective status that would make it untouchable forever. Instead, it’s protected by a maintenance agreement between the developers and the city.
Basically, as long as the land around it is used for high-rise offices, the clock has a home. But it exists in a bit of a legal gray area. Some preservationists find this terrifying. If the owner of the land ever decided the clock was too expensive to light or maintain, the fight to save it would have to start all over again. However, the public outcry would be so massive that it’s unlikely anyone would be brave (or foolish) enough to try to tear it down.
Visiting the Clock: What Most People Get Wrong
Most people think you have to see the clock from a boat or from Manhattan. Wrong.
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The best way to experience the New Jersey Colgate Clock is to take the PATH to Exchange Place and walk south along the waterfront. There is a specific spot right near the base where you can look up and truly feel the weight of the thing. It’s located in what is now known as "Wall Street West."
- When to go: Blue hour. Right after the sun sets but before it’s pitch black. The red LEDs pop against the deep blue of the sky and the New York City skyline across the water.
- The Photo Op: Don't just take a photo of the clock. Try to frame it with the Freedom Tower in the background. It creates a weirdly beautiful juxtaposition between 1920s industrialism and 21st-century architecture.
- The Vibe: It’s surprisingly quiet. Despite being in one of the most densely populated areas on earth, the little park area around the clock is often peaceful. It's a great spot for a first date or just to clear your head.
Jersey City has changed so much in the last twenty years. The luxury high-rises have replaced the warehouses. The piers are now parks. But the clock is the one constant. It’s a reminder that before this was a hub for finance and tech, it was a place where people made things. It’s a giant, ticking monument to the "Sixth Borough" and its blue-collar roots.
Survival in a Digital Age
We all have clocks on our phones. We have them on our wrists. We have them on our ovens and our dashboards. We don't need a 50-foot clock to tell us it's 6:15 PM.
But that’s not really the point, is it?
The New Jersey Colgate Clock serves a different purpose now. It’s a psychological anchor. When you see it from the window of a plane landing at Newark or from the deck of a ferry, it tells you exactly where you are in space. It grounds you. It’s a piece of "slow tech" in a world that is moving way too fast.
Interestingly, the clock underwent a massive renovation in 2013. They took the hands off, repainted the face, and fixed the structural supports. It was a huge undertaking. For those few weeks when the hands were missing, the waterfront felt broken. People genuinely felt a sense of unease. It was like the city had lost its pulse. When the hands went back on and the red lights flickered back to life, there was a collective sigh of relief across Jersey City.
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Real Talk on the Maintenance
Keeping this thing running isn't cheap. Goldman Sachs, which owns the adjacent property, is largely responsible for the upkeep. It costs thousands of dollars a year just in electricity and regular inspections. Most corporations would have ditched this expense years ago. Why do they keep it? Because the brand equity and the goodwill it generates are worth way more than the utility bill. It’s the ultimate "good neighbor" gesture in a city that can sometimes feel a bit cold.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
If you're planning to head out to see this piece of history, don't just snap a photo and leave. Here is how to actually do it right:
1. Combine it with the Empty Sky Memorial.
Just a short walk further south is the New Jersey 9/11 Memorial. It’s two massive stainless steel walls that reflect the light and point directly toward where the towers once stood. Seeing the clock and the memorial together gives you a profound sense of Jersey City’s history and its relationship with its neighbor across the river.
2. Check the time against your phone.
Seriously. It’s fun to see how accurate it actually is. Usually, it’s spot on. Sometimes, during a massive windstorm, it might be off by a few seconds, which is a fun reminder that physics still applies to giant pieces of metal.
3. Walk the "Gold Coast" path.
Start at the clock and walk all the way north toward Hoboken. You’ll see the evolution of the waterfront from industrial ruins to high-end real estate. The clock is the starting line for the best view of Manhattan you can get without paying for a helicopter.
4. Consider the lighting.
If you're a photographer, bring a tripod. The red glow of the clock can be tricky for smartphone cameras at night, often blowing out the highlights. A longer exposure will capture the detail of the octagonal frame without turning the hands into a blurry red mess.
The New Jersey Colgate Clock isn't going anywhere. It has survived the decline of the shipping industry, the death of the factory, and the total transformation of the Hudson waterfront. It stands as a weird, beautiful, and massive reminder that even in a digital world, we still appreciate something big, mechanical, and permanent. It tells the time, sure. But more importantly, it tells us that history is worth hanging onto, even if it’s just to see those giant red hands move through the night.