I was perusing Chrono24 this afternoon trying to establish the real going rate for that Seamaster 300 14755 that @cristos71 was offered a measly €3.5k for.

Anyway, the search turned into the usual rainy Sunday wilfing session that drifted towards the Omega Chronostop. Amongst the usual offerings I came across a 145.009 described as “Full Set - Famous first owner”....ooh, sound interesting thought I.


The “famous owner” was none other than Mr A.P. Pedrick. No doubt your reaction will probably be the same as mine was: “who the fk is A. P. Pedrick?”


Pedrick, it turns out, was nuts.

According to Wikipedia

“he was a prolific British inventor who filed for 162 United Kingdom patents between 1962 and his death in 1976. His “inventions” were notable for their almost complete lack of practical applicability.”

A search on some of Pedrick’s patents reveals the above Wiki entry to be notably understated.

Of the various patents, this one caught my attention:-


https://worldwide.espacenet.com/pub...&KC=A&FT=D&ND=&date=19690529&DB=&locale=en_ep


And in particular the patent description text:-

“It is believed concurrently, with the setting up of a world wide system of television ... towers, with revolving restaurants, as here described, there will be renewed public interest in the "GASTHAB" or lighter-thanair, Gas Turbine Hot Air Buoyant Airship, details of which have been disclosed in UK Patent No. 2257/66. Persons, who have the means to do so, will be able to spend their entire lives off the ground level, moving from one revolving restaurant tower to another by "GASTHAB" airships, fitted ... with the necessary sleeping accommodation and there will be no need for them to join the unfortunate "masses" swarming at ground level. ”


And further

“The essential operation of the invention depends upon a very ingenious principle.

Because the lift.. is arranged to be just buoyant when it is in operation for raising people to the restaurant, if exactly the same people step into it for going down, it will be clear that, having a meal inside them, they will be slightly heavier, the lift will then have some "negative buoyancy", and will sink slowly in the liquid in the tower ...if this is so refilled.”

There is a nice selection of his more bizarre ideas here:-

http://www.patentlyabsurd.org.uk/pedrick.html

Edit: late entry
PHOTON PUSH-PULL RADIATION DETECTOR FOR USE IN CHROMATICALLY SELECTIVE CAT FLAP CONTROL AND 1000 MEGATON EARTH-ORBITAL PEACE-KEEPING BOMB

So the questions now going through my mind are:-

1. Are mad people drawn towards the Chronostop?
2. Does the Chronostop turn people mad and if so how quickly?
3. If I purchase THE Chronostop will my credibility as an aerospace engineer/inventor vanish in a puff of GASTHAB hot air?

 

I don’t know. The only thing I know is that you should buy that Chronostop and find out.

 

Well I could, but having seen it I‘m now in two minds. Oh no, I‘m already starting to develop a multiple personality disorder!

 

I think you could be on to something. A few weeks ago George Eyston's chronostop came up for auction in the U.K. :

'Captain George Edward Thomas Eyston MC OBE was a British racing driver in the 1920s and 1930s, and he broke the land speed record three times between 1937 and 1939. He was also an engineer and inventor.' Wikipedia

It was a nice watch and went for a decent price, I kinda wish I send a bid in.

 

I doubt Captain George would have broken much other than into fits of laughter with this one of Mr Pedrick‘s automotive patents.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?CC=GB&NR=1405575&KC=&locale=en_ep&FT=E

 

There is something fabulous about that level of eccentricity that amazes and delights me.

 

Ok this guy is now my 2nd favorite person ever.

If your curious as to my favorite let this story sink in.

"Burro" Schmidt, mining gold in the El Paso Mountains, was faced with a dangerous ridge between his mining claims and the smelter to the south in Mojave. Schmidt said that he would "never haul his ore to the Mojave smelter down that back trail" using his two burros. Thus, he began his tunnel in 1906. The tunnel was about 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 10 feet (3.0 m) wide. It was cut through solid granite bedrock and required little shoring. However, Schmidt was trapped many times by falling rock and injured often. He eventually installed a mining cart on rails.

In 1920 a road was completed from Last Chance Canyon to Mojave, eliminating the need for the tunnel, but Schmidt claimed to be obsessed with completion and dug on.

By 1938 he had achieved his "goal", having dug through nearly 2,500 feet (760 m) of solid granite using only a pick, a shovel, and a four-pound hammer for the initial section, and carefully placed dynamite with notoriously short fuses for the majority portion. It was estimated that he had moved 5,800 tons (5,260 metric tonnes) of rock to complete his work. He used short fuses to save money.

Interestingly, Schmidt never used the tunnel to move his mine's ore. Instead, he sold the tunnel to another miner and moved away. During his excavation he passed multiple Gold and silver veins with potentially lucrative payouts

 

http://www.halfbakery.com/

 

I prefer the term psychoceramics.

 

Just joined the Forum and was drawn to the title of this and had to read. This is funny.

I have a 145.010 (for about 8 months) and I am currently claiming to be sane although I am wondering if that will change now that I am aware of the potential situation...

 

Claiming sanity is the first sign of insanity.


Welcome to the menagerie.

 

Cheers. Since joining, I feel there is so much to read, follow, say...I might just get there. Still sane though.

 

Fairly even keeled over here as well, and I’ve have a 145.008 Jumbo Chronostop for a couple years now.