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WWI French Aircraft Clock Project.... "Click" to Login or Register 
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
It looks like this one has not been serviced since the Great War. Powered by a rather common Swiss pocket watch movement at least some parts are obtainable. A dry broken main spring and many other issues......

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
The hairspring must be adjusted.

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
Looks good enough....

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
Double checking the strength of the replacement mainspring.

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
everything into the cleaning machine......

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
wind up the new (old) spring for insertion in the barrel.

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
Assemble the balance and adjust the beat......

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
Everything has been ticking away for a while. Nothing slipping or otherwise in error.....

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
At the factory, the dial was attached to the case by three double strikes, staking it in place. This is how I could tell that it had not been taken apart since it was first built. Because the movement could not be removed without taking off the dial. So, now it is reattached by re-staking it as close as possible to the original stake marks.

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
Now it's back to life ticking happily and keeping time. Ready to re-install in a Spad perhaps? Or more likely hanging out on my desk.

Good evening and happy collecting!

 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
Picture of Dave Turner
posted
Smile


Dave Turner
 
Posts: 1979 | Location: Wilson, North Carolina in the USA | Registered: November 15, 2011
Administrative Assistant
Picture of Dr. Debbie Irvine
posted

Nice Greg!

 
Posts: 5206 | Location: Northern Ohio in the U.S.A. | Registered: December 04, 2002
Life Member
posted
Great post Greg.
These old military clock/watches make fantastic desk clocks.
You have inspired me to dig out some of my aircraft time pieces.
Thanks for the post and inspiration.
Dave
 
Posts: 60 | Location: Ontario in Canada | Registered: April 13, 2009
posted
Very nice job, Greg! It is great to see one of these brought back to life. My Favre-Bulle is a bit different in that I have a DOXA movement in mine. The couple of other Great War Favre-Bulle cockpit clocks that I have seen also had DOXA marked movements in theirs. I am not seeing a maker's marking on yours, is there one? Is it possible that yours has a regular pocket watch replacement movement or perhaps Favre-Bulle used different manufacturer movements? I don't know but I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on these.
Here are some photos of mine - sorry for the small size of these images but the 220 size restriction on photos makes it difficult to post more detailed photos:

 
Posts: 872 | Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA | Registered: September 20, 2004
posted
here is the back with the back cover removed. It is a metal disk that exactly fits into a recess around the edge and snaps into place. It is popped out using a tiny screwdriver inserted in the little cutout on the edge.

 
Posts: 872 | Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA | Registered: September 20, 2004
posted
Here is the movement in mine - a closer view of the back with the back plate off:

 
Posts: 872 | Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA | Registered: September 20, 2004
posted
And zooming in some more:

 
Posts: 872 | Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA | Registered: September 20, 2004
posted
And still closer on the upper half of the movement:

 
Posts: 872 | Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA | Registered: September 20, 2004
posted
And the lower half of the movement:

 
Posts: 872 | Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA | Registered: September 20, 2004
Life Achievement
Military Expert
Picture of Greg Crockett
posted
Hi Jim.

Sorry for the confusion, I did not bother to post images of the front and back of the completed movement. It is in fact a Doxa movement and marked as such, the same as your clock and the same as my other Bulle aircraft clock. I have worked on a few of these and it looks like Doxa was the only movement Bulle was using.
 
Posts: 1960 | Location: East Lansing, Michigan USA | Registered: November 24, 2002
posted
Thanks, Greg. You have done a great job bringing back that one from being a literal 'basket case'. Smile
 
Posts: 872 | Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA | Registered: September 20, 2004
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