…is a Sony Dream Machine with EZ Alarm, made around 1988. You do not want a recent Dream Machine as it is a completely different product. This is an excellent clock:

My dad gave it to me for Christmas when I was 15. Its radio reception was far superior to my previous clock-radio; no more holding the power cord in the air with my foot to enhance the signal!

The best feature of this clock is the way you set the alarm. A small switch on the top left sets it to beep, radio, or no alarm. Then you set the alarm time using those nice big dials on the front: one for hours, one for minutes. It is really easy to see what your alarm setting is, and if you decide you need more extra sleep than the eight minutes allotted by the snooze button, you can reset the time easily and accurately even when semi-conscious. There is absolutely no confusion between setting the alarm and setting the current time–the buttons for the current time are on the underside of the clock.

I have used this clock-radio almost constantly for over 25 years. It still gets good reception. The alarm has never failed by its own fault. (If I forgot to check that a station was tuned in and the volume was up after moving the clock, it is my fault that it failed to wake me with very quiet static!) I have moved it frequently, packed it in my suitcase for airline travel, dropped it a few times, and once left it near a window where rain fell on it, but it still works! I have never had to repair any part of it.

Station setting and volume are controlled by round knobs that allow fine adjustments, not by digital buttons like many newer radios. These knobs can be adjusted unintentionally by people or pets bumping the clock–but all the other controls are admirably well protected from accidental movement without being difficult to adjust on purpose.

And it’s made from fine Simulated Wood!!

(I kind of wish I had removed that sticker in the early years of clock ownership, before it got permanently adhered. Imagine the sarcastic pranks I could have played in high school with a Simulated Wood sticker!)

If you see this clock-radio at a yard sale or thrift store, grab it! It’s really worked for me! Visit Waste Not Want Not Wednesday for other tips on making the most of material things.

Do you have a consumer product that has been impressively durable? Please comment.