Aircraft Clock

[clockwatcher]

As many of you may be aware I am a bit of a 'Jammy Sod'! The latest bit of jamminess is as follows. I was helping his widow to clear out my late friend's shed and was asked to divide the contents of a bag of 'scrap' between two bags, as the one bag had become too heavy to lift. It was destined for the metal recycling bin at the local dump. In transferring the contents I came across the clock in the pictures. Reporting it to my friend's widow as I was obliged to do I was told "If you want it, have it!"

The dial bore the stamped maker's mark 'S. Smith and Sons (MA) London' and the applied marking L 3/39, the date of manufacture or issue I presume. Some investigation online suggested that it was supplied to the Air Ministry and elsewhere as an aircraft clock. The 12-hour dial has alternate lumed numbers and lumed minute and hour hands for both main and subsidiary dials. The lume on the hands is completely shot but, although spent, the hour lume markings are crisp and largely intact. There's a 12-hour Time of Trip subsidiary dial and a sweep second hand. The trip timer and second hand are activated by the right-hand button and are both fly-back. The chrono function can be disconnected by turning the middle button where a small circular window shows red or white, off or on. The left button is for winding/adjusting and hacks the movement. The clock runs well but will benefit from a service. The timer function runs for a few minutes and then stops but I think this is due to lack of lubrication, after all it's probably never been opened in 75 years!

There's no indication on the outside as to what movement is lurking inside and I naturally presumed that it was made by Smiths. Imagine my pleasure in removing the casing and discovering a 13-jewel Le Coultre movement. It's a gilt beauty and absolutely immaculate.

Am I pleased? You bet!

[Geo]

I do like that, and yes, you are a "Jammy Sod" ! :D

[atimegoneby]

What a great find !  :jig:

[clockboy]

Nice find never happens to me.

[frenchie]

Very nice !

[oldhippy]

That's a nice find.

[antonyh]

Very nice, I've a friend with one of those, he won't sell it .

I got one of the more basic ones, got it from a fleas market ,as a non runner.

Broken winding wheels, I managed to repair it eventually.

It turns out it came out of a hurricane aircraft, I made a stand for it and now it sits on the side in the spare room.

Pictures if any wants me to try posting them.

[bobm12]

Of course we want pictures! :)

[oldhippy]

Some good detailed pictures would be wonderful.

[clockwatcher]

Yes, pictures please! I'm looking for ideas as to how to mount mine.  :)

[antonyh]

I'm trying get the pics on the page bear with me.

[antonyh]

[antonyh]

Well , I'm not happy about the screws as there new cross head screws awfull, I will get around to making up a piece to cover the screw holes and a clip to finish them off.

No doubt broken when it was removed from the plane.

The holderi made by simply slotting the angled piece of wood into the lower part and simply glueing it in.

I made a larger stand for a smiths bulk head clock, it was my second effort turned out much better.

[frenchie]

Just noticed there are a bunch on the bay, expensive...

 

If you are into this kind of thing, item 272144876918 might be of interest...

(I have no relation to the seller or the product, do your due diligence before you buy)

[stroppy]

Just a thought but if you wanted to you could fill the cross groves of the screw heads with solder and then paint over the top of them.  If not solder, then common epoxy filler will do the job.  To paint the ends just go and buy a black paint marker from a stationery shop.

Edited February 27, 2016 by stroppy

[antonyh]

Thanks for all the ideas , i'm going to put my thinking head on and come up with something .

[Peixian]

wonderful find! i have seen one looking like the clock you have posted  in an antique store!