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WWII aircraft clock converted to desk clock


Bob Hudson
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Got an invitation today to go picking at the home of a career Navy pilot who passed away last summer. He started in WWII and eventually became a test pilot at Patuxent River (got some interesting items from that) among other things. The family wants to get the house emptied, but the old outdated furnishings and the home's location in an area with about zero parking make it a poor candidate for an estate sale, so an estate sale operator put the family in touch with a couple of professional pickers who got the run of the place.

 

This piece was used by the pilot at work, on his desk. The clock is a Hamilton H-37500 Clock Chronograph - it's not running right and wonder if that's because of several years of inactivity?

 

It's mounted in plexiglass supported by the two cartridges:

 

1.jpg

 

2.jpg

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........ The clock is a Hamilton H-37500 Clock Chronograph - it's not running right and wonder if that's because of several years of inactivity?

"Does anybody REALLY know what time it is"?? :lol:

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"Does anybody REALLY know what time it is"?? :lol:

 

Well this clock is correct twice a day, which is better than a clock that runs slow or fast: those are never correct.

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  • 10 months later...

Hi,

 

theses AN5741-1 USN clocks were made during 1944-45 by Hamilton and Elgin, I've had two Elgins and one Hamilton. They can be seen in a few WW2 USN cockpit photos from fighter to transport types. They show the date and have two chronographs (1 and 12 hour). The AN5741-1 clock is known as the most complicated clock produced during WW2 by the US.

 

Going by the missing hands and reset button (top right), your clock looks to have been checked (and not repaired) after it stopped working.

 

Here's my Hamillton...........

 

IMG_015165.jpg

 

here's one in an F4U Coursair.........

F4UwithAN5741-1.jpg

And one in an F8F bearcat.........

 

USNF8FBearcat01.jpg

 

hope this helps,

 

cheers,

 

-John

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NIce clock. Im sure after all these years it needs a cleaning.

 

Sometimes the old lubricating oils used in the movement got gummed up . I had one of these clocks that didnt run and put it in an oven at 300 degrees for a few minutes to loosen it up, but I would not recommend that.

 

Kurt

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