1956 – The Clock Lights Up for the First Time
Edwin T. Reeder’s 13-story tower debuts with four gigantic bulb-matrix digits that flip from TIME ➜ TEMPERATURE every few seconds. This made the time visible day and night under Miami’s bright sun.
Similarly, a time-and-temperature display was mounted at the banks entrance, at street level, on Lincoln Road, keeping the same bulb-based digit system and clock style as the one on the rooftop.
Early 1960s – Center-Stage on the New Pedestrian Mall - The Place to Meet
Lincoln Road becomes a car-free promenade, with cafés, fashion shows, and art fairs unfolding beneath the glowing red numbers of the 407 Lincoln clock.
With its four-sided display, you could see the time no matter which way you were coming from. It became part of the everyday rhythm. Locals used the building to give directions, postcards featured the clock as a landmark, and “under the clock” became the go-to meeting spot on Lincoln Road.
(State Archives of Florida/Willard)
Fun Fact: One New Year’s Eve in the ’60s, a crowd gathered to count down the last ten seconds of 1963 — the red digits flashing with each number — and cheered as fireworks lit up the sky.
1970s and 80s – Disco O’Clock
Financial Federal building on the left; Chandler's Shoes on the right. From the City of Miami Beach Archives.
The city’s nightlife heats up. Beneath the clock, there are gatherings, cocktails, and polyester suits.
Parents pointed it out to teach kids how to tell time. After a beach day or a night out, people checked it to see if it was time to head home. Parents said, “Be home before the clock says 10.”
Before long, the building simply became known as the Clock Building — or just the Clock Tower.
Fun Fact: If you look closely at the vintage photo, you’ll spot a name change — Miami Beach Federal had become Financial Federal Savings & Loan. The photo captures that transition, offering a glimpse into the evolving identity of 407 Lincoln. The building remained a bank into the 1970s, and images like this help tell its story.
1980s to 2000s – A Constant in a City of Change
1980/1982 View of the Financial Federal Savings Bank building on Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue, Miami Beach. From the City of Miami Beach Archive.
In the 1980s, the building got a sleek new glass façade, but the clock stayed the same. Locals still looked up to check the heat before heading down the mall.
Through the 1990s and 2000s, as the city evolved and visitors poured in, the clock remained a steady presence. People timed their days by it. Tourists posed beneath it. Real estate ads proudly mentioned the view. It wasn’t just a landmark—it was part of life.
Fun Fact: With new ownership, 407 Lincoln transitioned from bank-owned property into an office building. The change involved investments for cosmetic changes.
2010s — Quietly Holding Its Place
Night scene with the Clocktower at 407 Lincoln Road in the background by Ron, Francis
As the city around it grew louder and flashier, the clock kept doing what it always had, marking the moment.
The building saw interior updates and welcomed a new wave of tenants drawn to its central location and timeless presence. Offices filled with creative teams, legal professionals, and language programs.
On the ground floor, financial services continued serving the community. All the while, the rooftop digits glowed above it all, steady and familiar, just as they always had.
2020 – The Clock Goes Silent
After 64 years, the light fades. The digits freeze. The silence is louder than anyone expected. Calls and emails pour in: “What happened to the clock?” Lincoln Road feels… incomplete.
What most didn’t see was the challenge behind bringing it back. The original parts were long out of production, and preserving the clock’s iconic look meant carefully sourcing and customizing components to match its historic design. The work has been underway ever since, quietly, patiently, and with the same care the clock once gave to keeping time.
2025 - The Quietest Thing in Lincoln Road is About to Speak
New Clock at the Warehouse.. Photo by Euroamerican Group Inc.
After years of silence, the iconic rooftop clock at 407 Lincoln Road is getting ready to shine again. Bringing it back has not been easy. The restoration has required recreating every detail, digit by digit and face by face, to preserve its signature look. Behind the scenes, the team has been working carefully and patiently to get it just right. Now the moment is almost here.
At the same time, Euroamerican Group is leading a full revitalization of the building. Shared spaces are being refreshed, the environment is being reimagined for today’s businesses, and the building’s mid-century character is being carefully preserved.
By December the clock will glow once more. And with it, a piece of Miami Beach history will come back to life.
Bibliography
City of Miami Beach. (1965). Miami Beach celebrates fifty years in the sun [Film]. Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives. https://wolfsonarchives.org
Florida Development Commission. (1973). Miami Beach: The Great American Resort [Film]. Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives. https://wolfsonarchives.org
Florida Memory. (n.d.). Lincoln Road Mall, Miami Beach [Photographs]. State Archives of Florida. https://www.floridamemory.com
Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design. (2022). Historic Preservation Board application documents for 407 Lincoln Road. City of Miami Beach Public Records.
Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives. (1960). WTVJ Newsfilm: Opening of Lincoln Road Mall and views of 407 Lincoln Road. https://wolfsonarchives.org
Miami Herald. (2022, December 8). Miami Beach approves redevelopment of iconic Lincoln Road tower, including rooftop clock. https://www.miamiherald.com
Miami New Times. (2023, June 12). South Beach’s quietest landmark is about to speak again. https://www.miaminewtimes.com
Rivas, R. (2022, December 9). Shvo and Foster + Partners get OK to redesign 407 Lincoln Road. The Real Deal. https://therealdeal.com/miami
State Archives of Florida. (1960–1970s). Commerce Collection: Lincoln Road and Miami Beach Federal Building. Florida Memory. https://www.floridamemory.com
WPLG Local 10. (1984). Lincoln Road summer heat report [News segment]. Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives. https://wolfsonarchives.org