19 set Bakelite watch holder advice

[David Dunlop]

Hi Derk.

The Holder is a one position only design and pretty much a standard piece of a lot of wartime wireless sets. The pocket watch, on the other hand was not an issued piece with every wireless set, with the exception of the Wireless Set No. 52 for which a pair of special pocket watches were provided my Canadian Marconi Company with each set as of their choosing, not the military.

If a wireless operator wanted to use a pocket watch, they would requisition one from Stores and IIRC, the going rate was $10.00. So basically, there were a lot of wireless sets in operation during the war, equipped from the factory with watch holders, that probably never held a watch in their entire service life. As the war progressed, the wrist watch rapidly replaced the pocket watch for easy of use and convenience, which is why the watch holders were ordered removed from all sets eventually, postwar.

So, to answer your question, to reorient the watch holder would be blatantly wrong, just because a wireless set had a holder did not mandate it be filled and if it is empty, very few people would ever even notice its orientation would be odd.


David