To get in the mood for WWI French Aircraft clocks here is some genuine WWI propaganda:

On the back of the “French Airman’s Brave Deed” propaganda post card:

“As soon as the German Lieutenant was near enough the airman shot him point blank. He then set fire to his machine and jumping on the horse of the dead lieutenant made of at full speed, vainly pursued by Uhlans, whose horses were inferior to that of their officer.” Before you blame the French for this card, the back also says, “British Manufacture”

If there is one thing we can be sure of about the above story, it is that there were some hard landings and crashed planes back then.

The clock in this image is made with a shock absorbing dash board mount. The clock case is attached to the mount by a set of brass wires radiating out from a hub, like the spokes of a wagon wheel. The central hub of this wire mount is screwed to the clock case.

The side, showing a Swiss patent number.

The back of another Allion brand aircraft clock missing the dashboard mount. Only the hub is still attached to the back.

These clocks are often found without the dashboard mount. It is my theory that they were often broken out of the mount when taken as a souvenir, which would have been faster than taking the screws out of the dashboard of the wreckage.... (which some dang French Airman set fire to after shooting a big dent in your helmet and riding away with your horse!)

The one day Swiss movement of this clock is rather large, like an automobile clock.

This Favre Bulle clock is set into a conventional case, without any sort of shock absorber.

Bulle is better known for early electric clocks. Not so well known for Marine or aircraft clocks. This clock is powered by a conventional swiss Doxa brand pocket watch movement.

The clocks in a group. To the left is an Allion brand clock w/dashboard mount. To the right is an Allion missing the mount. The Favre Bulle is in the center. Unfortunately, the Bulle clearly does not have the original crown.

Above the clocks is a French Model 1892 8mm revolver (the type a WWI French Airman would have been armed with).

Any more WWI French aircraft clocks out there?
Not much has been published about these, nor about which aircraft used them. Any info would be appriciated.

Best regards,

Greg

quote:

Favre Bulle

Not much to add to the dicussion other than to add that there would be 2 people interested in knowing about French aircraft clocks

There is an excellent watch forum(In French only) on which I have seen some information on French Military timepiece and photos hidden amongst its hundreds of pages. It is not hard to navigate even if you do not know French or are rusty and there is always the google translator
for the interesting articles .

http://forumamontres.forumactif.com/index.htm

Hallo,

i add some more French WW1 2 1/2'' in dia.

rgds
enzo

Front winding and setting, indexed Lip



Front winding and setting, indexed Zenith



Flange mounted , winding, setting and chrono actuated one button Revue

Thanks, Enzo.

The shape of the one-button Revue chronograph resembles the 30 hour Luftwaffa chronograph clocks of WWII.

Are there any dates on your clocks?

Best regards,
Greg

opssss Greg,

the Zenith is 1939 by the date stamped on the back, the Lip has no date, but could be same period or later, the Revue has no date but yes, it is looking somehow like the Junghans but is actuated with just one button instead a knob and a lever....
rgds
enzo

The LIP Type 14s I typically see that still have their dates on their cases are dated late 1930s or early 1940s.

Allion a Versailles seems to have been one of the primary suppliers of aircraft clocks and watches to the French air service during WW I. However, they did not actually make the movements in any of them - they they simply purchased movements from Swiss makers, and added dials with their markings. I am looking through my files for a copy of the French air service blueprint for the dials on these that they issued in their call for suppliers to provide aircraft clocks. The Allion a Versailles clocks come in two types of cases - one with the spring mounting and one in a solid one-piece case (similar to the Favre Bulle). I don't know if one style came before the other in time or if they were cotemporaneous. I can think of an argument that the more elaborate spring mounted case could have come after the simpler case as a natural improvement to address the vibrations of the aircraft, but I can also think of an equally convincing argument that wartime shortages would have led to the simpler case arrangement. The Smithonian Air and Space Museum has one with the spring mounted case on display. It was removed from their Voisin VIII night bomber where it was mounted in the center of the pilot's control wheel.

In my experience, the most common WW I era aircraft clock in terms of the numbers I have seen is a style for which I have not been able to determine the maker. They are always in the one-piece solid case and their dials are inscribed with simply "Aviation Militaire" and no maker's markings. The movements are generic Swiss ones. I have seen about two to three dozen of these in the past 10 years or so (I haven't kept count). The next most commonly seen ones that I have come across are the Allion a Versailles ones with perhaps an even split between the ones in the two piece shock mounted cases and the ones in the solid one-piece cases. I have seen about 6 to 10 of each of these. The ones I have seen fewest of are the Favre Bulle ones which I have only seen in the one-piece cases. I have only seen about five of these. They are all rare compared to the relatively common British aircraft watches and even compared to the U.S. aircraft clocks of the era. Given the sheer numbers of French aircraft of the WW I era I would have expected to see much larger numbers of these in the market place but they apparently were not saved by many people. The French built about 68,000 aircraft during WW I, the British built about 58,000, the Germans built about 48,000 and the Italians about 20,000 and the U.S. about 15,000. By simple numbers, one should expect to see aircraft clocks and watches in about these proportions but one does not. For example, so far I've never seen a WW I era Italian aircraft clock or watch - perhaps they didn't have them?

I had a local vet give this clock to me today.I have been trying to find out what it was.Well thanks to this site I have.The funny story is this was found on a WW-2 German U-Boat.Why would this clock be on a U-Boat???Can anyone tell me the value of these clocks.It is in very good shape and works good.
Thanks for the help.
Shawn

looks to be in awesome shape shawn... btw i do a lot of work here locally for clark/mckibben safety products in erie pennsylvania... any relation?

Hello Shawn,and welcome to the forum.

Collectors of war relics often hear stories. And, after so many years it's not unusual for some confusion to creep in so that the war relic does not to match the story. However, in this case, there is at least a possibility that your clock was used in a U-Boat.

It has been noted in a book on German military timepieces, that captured French aicraft clocks did see use in U-Boat radio rooms. The French clocks known to have been used in this manner were not like yours. All of them were of a different brand and of WWII vintage. At least a theory is that when the German Navy appropriated/captured a supply of French aircraft clocks, it is at least possible that a WWI vintage French clock was in the batch.

To follow up on this theory, I might suggest that you look the clock over with a glass, on the back and sides, and see if there are any little markings on it. Either stamped into the metal or ink-stamped inside or outside of the case.

Best regards,
Greg

I agree with Greg that anything is possible, but also that stories that go with timepieces are often embellished with each retelling - especially when the story attributes the timepiece to either a famous person or to an exciting aircraft or vessel such as a submarine or a Fokker Triplane or a French Spad or such.

Your WW I French aircraft clock looks to be in excellent condition cosmetically. Is the movement in equally good condition?

You asked about the value of these. They are uncommon but not rare. I think that the current market for them is very undervalued given that they were made to be installed in WW I aircraft, but then I'm not sure that they will be skyrocketing in prices anytime soon either. Here is a recent auction for one of the "Aviation Militaire" ones that are almost identical to the Allion a Versailles ones where no one bid on it since the reserve was $290. Aviation Militaire variety

And here is another recent auction for one of the Favre Bulle ones where it went for just $164 Favre Bulle variety

None of the recently completed Allion a Versailles variety auctions are still up on Ebay, but they tend to sell in the same price ranges - somewhere in the $200 to $300 for nicer ones and less if they are more in the "parts donor clock" condition.

Here is another one for your view.

Jim was correct. It was $150 running

Perry,

Thanks for posting the pictures. I like the display stand.

Best regards,
Greg

Greg,

Are these 8 day clocks or 1 day clocks.

Running time that is.

I was lucky with the stand. It came with the clock.