I have just completed servicing my Hamilton Model XXI marine chronometer, after having not run it for, well, decades. I just finished it today, and haven’t fussed with regulating it. But it has dropped about 5 seconds in 48 hours. At its best, years ago, it was consistently within 5 seconds per month. Having not run for a very long time, I will let it settle in for about a month before I get serious. This one was completed on September 7, 1944. I bought it in Coupeville, Washington, in 1985. This is the third time I have serviced it.

 

That ship's clock service must have been a walk in the park compared to climbing around in that tower clock a few weeks ago

 

Lol- no cardio or weight belts required!

 

These are a pleasure to work on. Parts the size of a clock, with fit and finish of a high quality watch. Earnshaw, dead beat escapement, key wound, key set, fusee, 52-hours on a winding, up/down indicator, 14,400 bph, helical hairspring, temperature compensated balance wheel, movement suspended in a gimbal, Honduras mahogany case built by the Heintzman Piano Co., New York. One of about 13,500 made between 1943 and circa 1965.

 

I believe the story of how @Canuck aquired this beauty can be found here:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/watch-story-thread.111386/page-3#post-1475849

 

Thanks @wagudc. I’d forgotten I had told that story. I recently corresponded with @Deafboy who has acquired a model XXI. He did a spectacular job on his, so I was inspired to return mine to service. Mine would have run any time I might have wound it over the years since I serviced it last. But I refrain from running it unless it has just been serviced.

 

Now I want one.

 

They are around. Many found today have after market boxes on them, a lot of them with NOS hardware. Mine is all original. If you find a chronometer in its tub, I have a suspicion that Larry Crutsinger has boxes and hardware.

 

Model XXI that is in my temporary custody as my parents are moving and don't trust the moving company *that* much

 

WOW! Serial number 4! That is an early one. What a treasure!

 

Awesome! Well done, I love seeing things like this repaired. I’ve been eyeing Model 22’s, but the deck hand version (is that what they’re called when not in box?). I’ll pull the trigger eventually.

 

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You might be referring to a comparing watch. These are basically a pocket watch movement in a pocket watch case (see link). On board a ship that carried more than one marine chronometer, the chronometers were never to be in the same location (spelled kamikaze). So a comparing watch was used to check the time on several chronometers. The model 22 was also produced without the gimbals and the wooden case. These are called a chronometer watch. Some model 22s came in a wooden case without the chronometer tub and gimbals.

http://www.hamiltonchronicles.com/2013/07/1941-us-navy-wwii-comparing-watch-model.html

 

There are a handful of members on this forum that I learn something from virtually every post. You are one of them. Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

 

Hamilton delivered the first 2 chronometers in February of 1942. They delivered 5 in May of 1942. The serial number 4 (above) might have been one of the first seven chronometers delivered by Hamilton.

 

Thanks, good info. I was thinking the non-gimbaled version of the Model 22: http://www.hamiltonchronicles.com/2014/05/1941-model-22-marine-chronometer.html?m=1

 

It is. My dad collected chronometers for a while in the 80s and 90s but eventually got bored with them so he sold a bunch when my parents were looking to finance an addition to their house. This XXI, a XXII, and a Seiko chronometer from the same era are the ones that 9 year old me insisted he keep.

 

Thanks for posting model XXI, s# 4. I have saved the image to my photo files because I very much doubt I’ll ever see an earlier one. Momentous!

 

I posted this thread on Nov. 26 at which time I reported that the Hamilton model XXI marine chronometer was losing close to 5 seconds per day, post servicing. As of today, it has been running for close to three weeks. I have been allowing it to settle in, following several decades of dormancy. In the last two weeks, it has settled into a daily loss of close to three seconds. So today, I will move the regulating screws, re-set it, and continue monitoring it.

My Hamilton model XXII marine chronometer I serviced on Dec. 4, and set it running, also after a long period of dormancy. As of today, it is 21 seconds slow after a 10 day run. So today it will be regulated and re-set as well.