Just bought this should get it in a few weeks. Been wanting a Pilot House clock for a while. Thier larger at 10 inches diameter. This one was made around !915-1918. And was used by the US Shipping Board in WW1 they did the same as the US Maritime Commission in WW2. These are harder to find in this condition and size and the seller did lower the price where I jumped on it. The US Shipping Board was in charge of all Supplies and Troop transport on ships in WW1. And the movement and case serial numbers match. Info below on US Shipping Board. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Shipping_Board
Well got it a few days ago. You can see the size of it and it's a monster around its WW1 brothers. The quality amazing on these larger Chelsea Pilot house clocks. Saw another for sale being retired Navy had to have the US Navy version was able to get the price down to what I paid for my other one. This will most likely be my last deck clock these Chelsea Pilot House clocks are the crown jewels of Chelsea. See how the Navy version the second hand in a different place on the dial. Had to use a 75-pound pitcher frame hook and find the stud in the wall these are heavy clocks. These US Navy pilot house clock most were on capital ships like aircraft carries and battle ships on the bridge or officer's wardroom.
Those are stunning and massive! It looks like the Navy and Shipping Board versions have flipped dials, since the seconds and the winding stem are both 180° off from each other.
Received it today nicer in person. Was able to find a part that was missing on the dial called a reflector that's goes around the dial along the edge of the dial.
Just got a new book on Chelsea clocks called Chelsea clock company the first 100 years. If no one noticed Chelsea Clock Company, the only American timepiece company that still here did not go out of business the last one standing. My clock serial number 123128 below out of the Chelsea logs in the book. I guess the ones sold to the US Navy must have a different log. Below you can see others close to my serial number so mine must have been made in August of 1918 so could have made WW1. Will need to get a certificate for a better date.
hi The book reads correctly.... 123104 - 123201 P.H. 8/27/18. P.H. aka Pilot House movement ( like yours ) Your clock s/n 123128 is in that range .... quick Question ... I just want to confirm that the US NAVY Reverse Pilot and the US shipping board have a 8 1/2 inch dials and the OD of the front bezel is 10 inches best bill
Hello Everyone... I originally posted this back in March of 2022. I was talking with collectors and the topic of " reverse Pilot house " clock came up...and a lot of newer collectors did not know what we were talking about... So on a typical Pilot house clock the winding arbor is just above the six o'clock position and the large sub seconds bit is below the 12 oclock position. The " reverse pilot house" winding below the 12 o'clock and the Sub seconds bit is above the 6 o'clock position. Both clocks below were for the US NAVY as marked on the dial. Have a great week. Bill
Both the US shipping board and US Navy pilot house have 81/2 dials. Looks like you have one of each size US Navy pilot house clocks. And both bezels are 10 inches. Main reason I got the US Navy one was it was issued plus having one of each one reverse and the other above that I thought was cool.
Well got the part called a reflector and installed it on the dial of the US Navy Pilot House clock. Anyone here knows where to get this part that goes into the winding hole on the dial only missing part now. Photo of it on my US Shipping Board clock.
Just got this part called an escutcheon some clock parts stores call them Grommets so escutcheon throwed me off. The part a metal ring that goes into the winding hole on the dial. Also got bad news when I ordered a certificate of origin. The case serial number was different than the movement serial number so not a matching number clock you want matching numbers. The only good news was the case was shipped to the US Navy on October 9,1918 but the movement was shipped to Union Irion works on June 23, 1917, in a pilot house clock so correct type movement but switched out. The Union Irion works was a shipyard in SF. They did work on Navy ships in WW2. One thing to look for is matching cases when you buy these older clocks. Wished I knew when it was swapped out and by who and why. Was it done in WW2 when in the yards swapped out from one of the shipyard clocks to get back in combat or by some watchmaker who was too lazy to repair the movement, or they mix up the movements during a service who knows just sort of sucks. Still like to clock.