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Thread: WW1 US Navy Chelsea Deck Clock No 2

  1. #1

    WW1 US Navy Chelsea Deck Clock No 2

    Just bought this on EBay been wanting a WW1 US Naval deck clock for a while since my Grandfather was in the US Navy in WW1 and WW2. This was made in 1918 and the serial numbers match on the movement and brass case so unmolested clock. Chelsea company still around today and you can get archive letters for 35 bucks will order one for mine. There is also a US naval observatory number on the dial they put on after testing it before issuing it to a ship just like on a WW1 US Navy Waltham boxed chronometer I have.


    Clean movement
    http://www.chelseaclock.com/p/certificates-of-origin/
    Link for archive letter if any one wants one
    https://www.history.navy.mil/our-col...k--bb-34-.html
    A cool site on US naval history were I found a WW1 era clock but with white dial.

  2. #2
    Master
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    And a lovely thing it is, too. I'm a fan of Chelsea clocks: I had one from WW2 in a phenolic case a few years ago.

  3. #3
    Lovely thing!

    Perhaps members can show some more ship's clocks.

    I have this Smiths. I had it mounted on a wall but took it down when decorating and never put it back up.


  4. #4
    The main reason I got this clock it was on active duty when my Granddad was in the Navy from WW1-WW2 don't know if I ever posted photo's of my grandfathers service here are a few there very old some over a 100 years old. My family was 4 generation Navy and me the last.

    He was a ACMM chief this in in 1925.

    Christmas day 1917 Miami Florida



    Deering Island Florida think it's filled in with dirt and a Miami street. As you see he was on the ground floor in early Navy aviation.


    The USS New Mexico think how hard it had to be to shoot floatplanes with a catapult from a battleship then use a crane to pick them up out of the water to load them back on ship.

    Cool photo OSHA would not allow this today no safety harnesses used in that photo.

    This was going across the line the equator looked more brutal than when I went across the line. look at those cricket bats that had to hurt. And love that suitcase no justice no mercy.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by BillyCasper View Post
    Lovely thing!

    Perhaps members can show some more ship's clocks.

    I have this Smiths. I had it mounted on a wall but took it down when decorating and never put it back up.

    I use a wooden plaque to mount the clock on then set up wire on the back of it so I can hang it up on the wall like a pitcherframe that way only one nail for the hook. Mite be a easy way to put it back up. Nice clock.

  6. #6
    Craftsman simonsays's Avatar
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    Amazing pictures, and a very interesting clock. $35 for an extract, I am going to complain to Omega!

  7. #7
    Master
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    Lovely looking clock with a great back story.

    I very much enjoyed looking at the photos,my grandfather was also in the navy in WW2.
    my mother found his war service records last year and I was able to get the facts on his convoys etc.

  8. #8
    Master Geronimo's Avatar
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    Thanks Mike, a lovely thread...

  9. #9
    Great historical photos. Have you identified the seaplanes? Maybe a Curtis?
    Did your beautiful clock come in a wooden box with a gimbal?

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by sestrel View Post
    Great historical photos. Have you identified the seaplanes? Maybe a Curtis?
    Did your beautiful clock come in a wooden box with a gimbal?
    No wooden box on these they were mounted on the bulkhead and you mite be right Curtis seaplanes the Curtis company owned land around Miami.

    Here is how they are mounted on a ship this is the WW2 submarine USS Bowfin in Pearl Harbor Hawaii a museum now. There newer ones from the 1950's -1960's by the look of them but a museum put up what they can get I bet the crew took any clock that was not nailed down when it was decommissioned.


    Last edited by River Rat; 24th February 2018 at 23:40.

  11. #11
    Well received it today and mounted it to a wooden plaque .

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by River Rat View Post
    Well received it today and mounted it to a wooden plaque .
    Looks great. I always think military dials are unbeatable for readability and clarity.

  13. #13
    Here is a cool photo from my Grandfathers album took in 1918 same year my clock was made and issued. On the back of photo it said he made Chief Petty officer in less the 5 years and that was called a slit chief for making rate the fast. He is one of the Chiefs next to the officers check out the boots on the officers. I got a few more photo's I can post if any one is interested. The one Chief with a dot on the arm I think was done to ID my grandfather in the photo.

  14. #14
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by River Rat View Post
    Well received it today and mounted it to a wooden plaque .

    That’s just so nice, you must be very pleased.

    Please post more photos I am interested.

  15. #15
    Master
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    Here’s one from my grandfather in WW2 on the North Atlantic convoys.
    He told me they had to cut down the mast as when it was covered in ice it was rolling the ship.
    No heating on board,some ships even had an open bridge.


  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by bwest76 View Post
    Here’s one from my grandfather in WW2 on the North Atlantic convoys.
    He told me they had to cut down the mast as when it was covered in ice it was rolling the ship.
    No heating on board,some ships even had an open bridge.

    Dam that had to suck working on main deck chipping that ice off the ship to keep the ship from rolling over. I can feel the cold in my mind just looking at that photo. I only been out at sea on one west pac were it snowed and was cold off the coast of Korea and off the coast of Russia in international waters being in Deck you were out there in that nasty weather when I was in the Navy. But not as bad as your Grandfather had it. If it was not for what your Grandfather did getting the supply's through the tanks and vehicles and ammo and food and troops and fuel getting through that won WW2. I hope your Grandfather still around if he is get him to tell you as much as he can remember of WW2 those WW2 vet's are going fast both my Dad and Grandfather are both gone now miss them both.

  17. #17
    The clock looks a treat!

    One of my clients is 93, he survived the sinking of HMS Afridi ( tribal class destroyer) off Norway in 1940.
    Horrible experience,he tells me,so many sailors lost.

  18. #18
    Just got this from Chelsea.

    Was shipped to the US Navy observatory on February 20,1918 kind of like getting the birth certificate of a Military timepiece.

  19. #19
    Journeyman
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    Quote Originally Posted by River Rat View Post
    The main reason I got this clock it was on active duty when my Granddad was in the Navy from WW1-WW2 don't know if I ever posted photo's of my grandfathers service here are a few there very old some over a 100 years old. My family was 4 generation Navy and me the last.

    He was a ACMM chief this in in 1925.

    Christmas day 1917 Miami Florida



    Deering Island Florida think it's filled in with dirt and a Miami street. As you see he was on the ground floor in early Navy aviation.


    The USS New Mexico think how hard it had to be to shoot floatplanes with a catapult from a battleship then use a crane to pick them up out of the water to load them back on ship.

    Cool photo OSHA would not allow this today no safety harnesses used in that photo.

    This was going across the line the equator looked more brutal than when I went across the line. look at those cricket bats that had to hurt. And love that suitcase no justice no mercy.
    I was in the Royal Navy for 22 years, remember "Crossing the Line" ceremony well. Fantastic clock by the way.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by gubbins View Post
    I was in the Royal Navy for 22 years, remember "Crossing the Line" ceremony well. Fantastic clock by the way.
    Funny thing I also did 22 years in the US Navy 4 active duty the rest in the Naval reserve the US Navy finely started paying me for retirement in the reserve you got to wait until your 60 birthday to get full benefits and retirement pay. I crossed the line on December 23,1981 a great Christmas present of pain. We were on our way to Diego Garcia think the US Navy lease it from England was on a sub tender we even tended the HMS Sheffield while in Diego Garcia a month later the Falkland's war started and a sad fate for the Sheffield we felt for the crew.

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