I recently uncovered this item in my stash. It is an 8-day Beechcraft airplane clock. Seven jewels, movement marked Wakman, but it is a Lemania 7510. I spend a lot of time at my repair bench, and in spite of being a collector, there are often times I am not wearing a watch. I decided to fix this artifact up, and use it on my bench. It needed a balance staff, two pivots polished, two jewels installed, and a cleaning job. I find it quite handy.

 

Fantastic! I had 12 computers helping me fly my F-18 and there were 4 instruments that I always checked to make sure the computers weren't trying to kill me: 1. Steam driven attitude indicator, magnetic compass, radalt and the 8 day clock. I wound that thing thousands of times over 20 years. I picked one up a few years ago and keep it on my bookcase. I also picked up a watch that is a faithful replica of the 8 day clock from a nice gentleman in Italy.

 

All you still need now is a matching strap...

 

Mine has the auxiliary hands pinioned to the plexi crystal. I gather these would be used as an index for either a starting time, a reference time, or an end time. I noticed after I posted the picture of mine, that the index hands were out of synch. I have since attended to that. I am astonished that a modern fighter aircraft would use an analog stem winder for a clock.

My late father was an aircraft instrument maker during WWII. He used to describe the types of equipment he had to work on. You mentioned “steam powered”. As I recall, the types of instruments he worked on were not too far removed from being steam powered. He worked on Wellington aircraft, and possibly Lancasters. The Lancaster bomber at the Canadian Warplane Museum in Ottawa was (IIRC) built after WWII. It never saw war. It was used for coastal patrol out of Halifax, N S until,it was retired. He also serviced all types of timers, watches, aircraft clocks, etc.

 

Here’s a couple of oldies from the basement.
The Chelsea allegedly came from one of the D-Day gliders. I’ve not been able to verify if gliders were even equipped with that type of clock.
The Smiths, I found in a pawn shop, looks more like a ships clock.

Had to remove the bezel and glass from the Chelsea because of the glare.

 

I would love to get this some day. But for now I just dream.

 

The Chelsea is a radio room clock. The red sectors were used to indicate to Morse Code operators when to cease all broadcast and listen for any distress/emergency transmissions. If there was three minutes of silence, normal traffic resumed.

 

Was that the bit of string on the nose cowl?

 

Negative. The string was the Beta or side slip indicator. Steam gauges are driven solely by the pitot static system. No computers. Although the attitude indicator needed 28v dc power.

 

Hi, I have this wonderful RAF Nero Lemania 7510 cockpit cock but it gains time. I can't find anyone in the UK with parts to service it & get it adjusted. Would you take it on?

 

I was able to get the parts I needed for the clock in my opening post. I am not certain the movement was actually made by Lemania. When I ordered parts, I ordered WAKMANN parts. So if parts are required, have your person order by this alternate name. As to your clock gaining time? Parts could be required if the clock stops, or runs very erratically, or just plain doesn’t run at all, I can see why parts might be required. But gaining? Maybe a thorough clean and adjust might do it? As to might I take a crack at it. The fact I live half a world away from you might be a factor!

If you Google WAKMANN, there is an outfit that specializes in servicing these clocks, in the U S A. If you are still not able to solve your clock’s problem, and you really want it fixed, maybe give this outfit a try.

 

OK - thank you, your input is much appreciated.
From my research the movement is Lemania. America had very heavy tax duties on imported goods so WAKMANN imported the parts & then assembled them in America, selling it as a WAKMANN American made clock thus avoiding the duty.
I found one clockmaker to service it & he said it had a kinked hairspring which he changed & completed a service. However it was returned to me running faster than before. I sent it back to him but he said he was unable to adjust it to an acceptable parameter & then felt the main spring may have been changed for an incorrect one & the train wheels are worn? I'm not an expert by any means but I'm not wholly convinced with his ability on this movement.
At least your info gives me another avenue to source parts should they be needed if I can find someone more experienced with vintage timepieces.

 

These are awesome. I'd love an old cockpit clock with timing bezel or chronograph for my desk. Seems tough to find them in good shape though. Also, worried about all the radium in the vintage ones, since I have kids running around the house. Sinn made some new ones not too long ago, but out of my price range. I'll have to set up an eBay alert and be patient, I suppose.

 

I have exactly the same clock which I picked up as a non-runner. It is now running (new balance staff required) courtesy of H Stanley Horology in Dorking

 

The old Russian ones are cheap and plentiful. Only 2 day movements.

 

I picked this up at a local auction. Don't know its function but it looks neat. Made by Levin &Sons

 

Thanks for the info but, after reading a Yell.com review from 2018 about someone who took their 8 day cockpit clock there and had months of aggravation & finally returned running worse than when they took it in, I would not be confident to send it to them.
Luck of the draw I guess but appreciate your imput.

 

Did some one say clocks. I wanted to get naval clocks from both sides of WW2 did manage to get US Navy and Japanese and a German ships clocks. But only managed to get a British Navy and Italian Navy ships clock post WW2 after the fact. And have a few military aircraft clocks from WW1 to maybe the Vietnam war. I got few more I got this habit bad.

 

I only have one ship's clock, a Chelsea, and it dates to 1904.

Made for the Ashcroft MFG Company

I had it serviced 4-5 years ago and it runs well.

 

Nice US Army message center clock I got both model of those the small one like yours were you can change the time with that nob on the side think those are rare you don't see a lot of them then I got the larger one with carry box. These were used when radio message would come in and you can put the time when the message came in. I also have two WW2 German message center clocks used the same way. They all had these boxes they were mounted to. So when you tear down the camp to move else were they were easy to pack up. And they have two time zones why the two hour hands good for radio messages if you are sending a message in a different time zone. The Smiths deck clock a radio room clock the red sections on the dial is for radio silence to listen for sos messages so you sort of got two clocks used for radio messages.