Wireless of the Week - week 51

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Seen on the face of most larger wireless sets were often pocket watch sized chronometers in plastic or, on earlier sets, metal cases to enable signalers to accurately time their transmissions, shifts or silences. It was of vital importance that time keeping was consistent and correct throughout a communication network so it could operate at maximum efficiency.

The watches used for this purpose were Swiss made, jeweled, wind-up timepieces made by various manufacturers. The face included large numbers for the 12 hour positions, typical minute and hour hands and a small secondary face with a sixty second sweep hand. Many of these watches had the numbers or the hands painted with radium so they would glow in the dark. The watches were 2” in diameter and the top post had a notch for holding it suspended in a slot on the top of its case. The cases themselves were secured to the radio or supply unit face with three countersunk head screws. They had a serial number and prominent Broad Arrow or Canadian “C” Broad Arrow government ownership mark on the back in a futile attempt to prevent them from being stolen. On the other hand, Signal Sergeants made Signalers lives miserable by having them account for the precise location of the chronometer assigned to them every moment of his precisely timed 24 hour day.

The three examples presented here include two British ones, one with a black face marked “G.S. Mk.II” and both with radium paint, and a ‘clean’ Canadian one.

Also shown is the early nickel plated brass case and the more common plastic one. These cases were incredibly delicate with very fine threads prone to cross threading when screwing the cap back onto the body.

[cletrac (RIP)]

Mine both have nickle cases and plastic holders.
I wonder how often they would synchronize them?

[Ron Pier]

I've collected three over the years, for my WS11 and WS19's. All are nickel plated from memory. All have Bakolite holders and I'd agree about the vey fine thread. Ron

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by cletrac

Mine both have nickle cases and plastic holders.
I wonder how often they would synchronize them?

From memory there would be a time broadcast from headquarters at 2100 every day.

(My father commented that the 'issue' pocket watch did not keep very good time and as a result he always used his own.)

"Office" watches were not always adjusted to the broadcast time, but any difference would be noted and a record kept for manual correction (to avoid disturbing the watch, which might cause the rate of drift to change).

Chris.

[cletrac (RIP)]

No atomic clocks to go by back then!
I figured they'd have to be set daily.
The conditions under which they were used were less than ideal after all.

[Bruce MacMillan]

I don't know about the army but the navy broadcast a continuous time signal. On the enclosed chart from one of my US Navy sets you can see the station "time tick" on the right side. There is one digit missing from the frequency as it is in the 12 Mc range.

[benamucke]

From my collection
Ben in Toronto

[wendel daniel]

hello
I have only one of this pocket clock on my R109
regards
daniel