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Thread: Big old "Made in GB" clock

  1. #1

    Big old "Made in GB" clock

    Just got home this big old clock. Funky looking but why and what is it ?

    Any love and or knowledge for such old things ?

    Last edited by even neve; 7th September 2016 at 21:55.

  2. #2
    I've no knowledge but this link may help a bit:

    http://www.qsl.net/wb1gfh/chelsea.html

  3. #3
    Grand Master Andyg's Avatar
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    Ship's radio clock. Its unusual in so far that its does not have green sectors on the dial - only red!!

    Mine (off a Hull trawler ) has both.

    I am sure someone will be long soon to provide more info.

    Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
    Friedrich Nietzsche


  4. #4
    Master
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    Radio silence markers at different frequencies
    500 kHz CW Silence Periods (RED) & 2182 KHz Radio Telephone Silence Periods (Green or Blue)

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Andyg View Post
    Ship's radio clock. Its unusual in so far that its does not have green sectors on the dial - only red!!

    Mine (off a Hull trawler ) has both.

    I am sure someone will be long soon to provide more info.
    Ok, it looks original to me, doesn't seem to have had any green on that dial

  6. #6
    The early ones only had the red WT (morse - 500kHz) markings on them as RT (2182 kHz/VHF channel 16) didn't come along until later.
    Last edited by endure; 7th September 2016 at 15:34.

  7. #7
    Here's one in its proper setting on the Opal Bounty/ZCLS


  8. #8
    And here's the man in charge :-)


  9. #9
    Perhaps a better explanation. Radio officers, when on watch, kept a continuous watch on 500 kHz which was the WT (morse) international distress frequency (and also the MF calling frequency) unless they were working traffic (although most of us had the emergency receiver on 500 all the time).

    At 15 to 18 and 45 to 48 minutes past the hour all calling on 500 kHz was forbidden and we all listened out for any distress signals being broadcast.

    The same was, in theory, true of 2182 and VHF ch16 at 00 to 03 and 30 to 33 minutes past the hour but applied more to ships that didn't carry radio officers.

  10. #10
    ^^What's the conenction to Martin Freeman??

    Otherwise very useful information here guys, I guess they had to be set to a standard time then (?), and would it be wrong to think that the movement in this must be of some quality and hence worth getting serviced?

    How about age, pre WW2 ?

  11. #11
    One of the R/Os jobs was to pass a time signal from Rugby/WWV/whoever you could hear through to the bridge every day so they could rate the chronometer. You'd check the clock at the same time. It was always set to GMT as all radio logs were kept in GMT whatever the actual time on the ship.

    Who is Martin Freeman? :-)

    I'll give you a fiver for it if you want to get rid of it :-)
    Last edited by endure; 7th September 2016 at 16:20.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by endure View Post
    One of the R/Os jobs was to pass a time signal from Rugby/WWV/whoever you could hear through to the bridge every day so they could rate the chronometer. You'd check the clock at the same time. It was always set to GMT as all radio logs were kept in GMT whatever the actual time on the ship.

    Who is Martin Freeman? :-)

    I'll give you a fiver for it if you want to get rid of it :-)
    Ok, so no chronometer but a decent movement then I guess. I didnt find a key for it so I dont know if it works. I paid 90 so a fiver is out of the question

    Martin Freeman - I thought that was the gentleman in the pictures name, but now I suspect it is maybe you :)

  13. #13
    Even the bridge chronometer wasn't necessarily super accurate. They were never corrected while on passage.

    What was more important was its rate. If it lost a second a day that was ok as long as it lost a second EVERY day and not a second one day and two seconds the next.

    This was before Seiko came along with the quartz QM-10 that was accurate enough to be scary :-)

    And yes - that is me.

    http://www.skipper.co.uk/uploads/Tyma%20No%20141.pdf
    Last edited by endure; 7th September 2016 at 16:42.

  14. #14
    Master alfat33's Avatar
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    Big old Made in GB clock

    Could you show us a picture of the movement, just out of interest?

    Looking randomly on the Internet, dealers seem to charge a bit more than £90 for decent ones.

    The key looks pretty standard, doubt you would have trouble finding one that fits.
    Last edited by alfat33; 7th September 2016 at 16:40.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by alfat33 View Post
    Could you show us a picture of the movement, just out of interest?

    Looking randomly on the Internet, dealers seem to charge a bit more than £90 for decent ones.

    The key looks pretty standard, doubt you would have trouble finding one that fits.
    Sorry I can't right now, cause access to the movement seems to be through the front - meaning I would have to remove hands and dial first. I'll look for a socket wrench and see if it can be winded though.

    Anyone with a guess on the age, I found a very similar one with "Sestrel" on the dial instead of Henry Browne.... could that be a clue, I find very little history on Browne or Sestrel online.
    Last edited by even neve; 7th September 2016 at 16:59.

  16. #16
    Master OliverCD's Avatar
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    The OP's image of the clock could really be the exact template the PRS-28 was created from... minus the green of course. The numerals are exactly the same.

  17. #17
    Which reminds me - anyone got a PRS-28 they want to sell?

  18. #18
    I think you'll find that there is a designated area, a so called sub forum,for the WTB advertiments.

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