Of time, trains and Western Union…history from a clock collector

[Jinglebob]

I always wondered how they made all those tiny parts and screws used in watches back then with such precision.

Back to my Hamilton 22 Chronometer. When WWII began, no one in the USA was manufacturing marine chronometers, and virtually all of them were imported from England and Europe (mainly Switzerland). Of course, those sources halted supplies immediately, and Hamilton stepped up to the plate and started producing them. Their first one was the Model 21, basically much like an enlarged pocket watch. That sort of evolved into a purpose-built chronometer, the Hamilton 22, which was physically somewhat smaller and built on a different mechanism design. Both types were used during the war and afterward. The Hamilton 22 was made for both the Navy and the Army Air Forces (they also needed accurate watches) in two forms. One was mounted inside a hinged lid wooden case on gimbals, and the other was basically an enlarged pocket watch inside a metal case. I have read that Hamilton made around 30,000 Model 22s during WWII. There are usually several Hamilton 22s, and occasionally 21s, listed on eBay at somewhat shocking prices.

Not to be confused with the Hamilton .22. A single-shot break-open .22 cal. rifle produced by C. J. Hamilton and Son, Plymouth, Mich. between 1906 and 1930.

As for vintage watch and clock prices, nothing surprises me anymore. Most of the really good ones have gotten out of my price range.

 

[amazingflapjack]

We have an "atomic clock" that is regulated by a device somewhere in Colorado. Neat when the time switches back and forth in the Spring and Fall to watch it re-set itself.

 

[les.b]

there is nothing as classy as a gentleman wearing a vest with a pocket watch with a nice fob.

Hey, susie....You mean something like this?

This is a Waltham that I received as a gift back when I was attending college. I seldom wear it, but I recently attended the funeral of a fraternity brother, and thought it would be appropriate, as one of the seals is our fraternity crest.

Best Regards, Les

 

[les.b]

Jinglebob:

Thanks for the history lesson!!! I was completely unaware of this really interesting information.

Best Regards, Les

 

[LostintheOzone]

Good stuff J-Bob, I learned something new today.
The clock in the cell phone is updated constantly from a signal from the network but what does the network sync to?
The search for a marine chronometer and the development of the fixed location for navigation is a story in of itself.

Cell phones with GPS receivers communicate with units from among the 30 global positioning satellites in the GPS system. The built-in receiver trilaterates your position using data from at least three GPS satellites and the receiver. GPS can determine your location by performing a calculation based on the intersection point of overlapping spheres determined by the satellites and your phone's GPS receiver. In simple terms, trilateration uses the distance between the satellites and the receiver to create overlapping "spheres" that intersect in a circle. The intersection is your location on the ground. How Does GPS Work on Cell Phones? | USA Today

I worked with precise GPS receivers for 20 years on the job. We actually ran some tests for a company that was about to market a product like a Garmin Drive Assist. They wouldn't tell us the company and I never found out. Rocket science for sure.

Here's a few stories.

I used to look at the DOD navigation satellite constellation for mission planning. I could see the locations and orbits of each navigation satellite (we called them space vehicles). At that point in time there weren't very many so it was critical that we know when they would be over us. Usually we could count on 5 or 6 to be over the US at the same time, mostly it was at night. I went to work one morning and checked the constellation. The DOD had moved the orbits of all the SV's. I then looked at where they had moved and immediately knew that the mother of all battles was about to start in Kuwait. And it did about 3 days later.

I know a software engineer who is a good friend of my wife. He developed the software for GPS receivers to be mounted on railroad cars. He told me that practically every railroad car has a receiver on it when it is in use. His company developed the units and sold them to the railroads.

GPS receivers can be pretty smart. They know where they are, the direction they are moving and how fast they are moving in that direction. I worked with several high end units built by Trimble Navigation that obviously had the hardware and firmware to guide a missile. I asked a Trimble sales guy one time about being able to put that receiver in a missile. He said it wouldn't work because the firmware would shut it down if it determined it was moving faster than 1000 miles an hour. He said it couldn't be changed by anyone except Trimble Navigation..

 

[DWalt]

I remember several years ago I checked my cell phone time when I crossed the line between Eastern and Central time to see what happened. Sure enough, it changed an hour. There are both watches and clocks which synchronize with the atomic clock signals from Colorado if you are a time accuracy freak and don't have a cell phone.

 

[soFlaNative]

GPS receivers can be pretty smart. They know where they are, the direction they are moving and how fast they are moving in that direction.

Good info in this post but what in the name of Sweet Sally Sunshine does it have to do with the correct time?

 

[les.b]

My sons an I not only collect guns, but love watches. Between us we have all kinds of watches, from inexpensive to pretty pricey. But three years ago, I saw this watch advertised in the National Geographic. Half price. Only about $80. I bought one for myself and both sons. Notice it has no crown to set the time with. You just take it out of the box and put it on. It reads the time signals from any of the time transmitters around the world. Whenever we get together, we put our wrists together, and all three second hands are on exactly the same second. Unbelievable. Of course they adjust for DST, and can show dual times for anywhere in the world, etc. but for just showing the exact time, day of the week, and day of the month, which is what most of us want, they are great. Also, one son swims almost every day with his, and oh, yeah... the dial is a solar panel, and charges the battery whenever exposed to light. All for $80!!!

I also have "atomic" clocks at home and both camps. At my office and classrooms, we have atomic clocks. Those are now pretty inexpensive at Walmart etc. and of course my iPhone 7, my iPad, and computers all tell me the correct time. Just bought a new GMC Terrain, and it is a wi-fi hotspot, and the dash shows the time, year, day of the week, month, and day of the month.

With all of this, my students still can't get to class on time!!!

Best Regards, Les

 

[jrm53]

I too collect pocket watchs, have several rail road grade time pieces I have a 16 size Bunn 19 jewel with a set of hour hands that show time in two time zones. It has 2 hands placed an hour apart, one is blue and one is gold colored. If you could see the movements in the watches that were made here you would not believe the quality. Jeff

 

[Abbynormal]

My I Phone 5S sometimes takes an hour to change when crossing time zones. I also have a Radio Shack alarm clock that projects the time on the ceiling or wall. It has some sort of a radio receiver in it, as it always has the correct time. Even after blackouts, DST changes and when Indiana decided to stay EST and go on DST. Previously Indiana was on EST year around with no DST. In the cold months we were on NY time, in the warmer months Chicago time and no time changes through out the year. Needless to say, Radio Shack projector clock has always had the right time!

 

[DWalt]

I have seen those Casio solar/automatic time set watches several places, and have considered getting one when my Swiss Army (Victorinox) watch bites the dust. Except after almost 20 years, the Swiss Army is still humming along, but for the occasional need for battery change. It loses only about 15 seconds during the interval from standard to daylight time. That's far better than the old mechanical marine chronometers ever were. I usually change and re-set the time against my cell phone which I assume is very close to, if not exactly, atomic clock time.

 

[Chuck24]

I have an old wall clock that says postal telegraph. It appears to be electric although I have never tried to get it to run. Is this related to the telegraph in any way, or just a company name?

 

[Dennis The B]

The "railroad" pocket watches were also unique, in that they could not be stem-set watches; lever sets were required. The crystal screws into the case, and the lever is pulled out for setting the time.

I still have my grandfather's Hamilton 992 watch, made in 1911. While not a quartz movement, it's nearly as accurate as my two automatics (Breitling, and Seiko). On the left is an 1848 half dime, put into a custom made holder. On the right is an 1889 Morgan silver dollar, given to me by my grandparents for my 7th birthday. My grandfather crafted the watch chain and fob during the 1930's. The links were fashioned from monel steel, and hand-wrapped around a cut nail.

 

[DWalt]

My grandfather was not a railroad man, but he was from the old school. I don't ever remember seeing him, before his days of mental and physical decline in the 1950s, wearing anything other than a blue pinstripe suit with tie and vest, even at home, and with his Illinois pocket watch on a chain draped across the vest. I still have that Illinois pocket watch and chain with his initials engraved on the back of the case. It is not a railroad watch, but it still runs. I wind it up occasionally just to be sure it is still working. No idea how well it keeps time. While wristwatches existed prior to WWI, they really didn't catch on with men until about that time. A soldier or sailor couldn't wear a pocket watch and chain while in uniform.