Now and then, a connection my come up of watch and clock makers to non-horological products. For example, I saw a large brass optical artillery sight made by Waltham Watch Co. in an antique store a few years ago.

What other non-watch watchmaker made stuff have you seen?

A Horological Handgun?



In his book, THE ENFIELD .380 NO. 2 REVOLVER, author, Ian Skennerton wrote that in 1941 Albion Motors, a Scottish truck manufacturer, obtained a contract to make the No.2 MK I* British Service Revolver. But Albion found revolver making to be a rather difficult task.

Due to the lack of skilled hands during WWII, Albion sought help from retired watch and clock makers to help get revolver production going. The elderly horologists where up to the task and large numbers of these much needed handguns were built for King and Country.

Here is an example of an unfinished Albion, rejected due to manufacturing errors. Albion revolvers generally functioned as well as those made in the long established Royal Arsenal at Enfield. Reliable Enfield and Albion revolvers remained in front line service around the world for many years after WWII. But that’s no surprise. Compared with repairing a chain-drive timepiece, a chronograph, or a repeater, adjusting the timing of a revolver must have been a piece of cake.


Best regards,
Greg

In this image is a WWII vintage Waltham wrist compass and to the left a Waltham pocket compass in a brass U.S. marked case. The nickle cased pocket compass to the right is marked WITTNAUER on the dial, but is otherwise similar to the Waltham. The needles are jeweled.

The Waltham wrist compass still has the original one piece cotton strap. Pocket compasses were issued in pilot survival vests. These items may have been issued by other service branches as well.

Hi Greg.

Do you know anything more about those Wittnauer pocket watch shaped compasses? I seem to see them frequently and I have always wondered when they were made. I have seen them described as being issued to soldiers in WW II, or being made to be put into survival kits that were put on aircraft in case of their being forced down, or any number of other claims. Maybe all of the above are true and they were just general purpose compasses that could be put to all kinds of uses.

My father had one in the hunter style case, i wondered if it was navy issued?
Neat items and the revolver.

Hi Jim and Kevin.

Regarding issue: I have seen a two examples of the pocket watch type compasses in original cardboard boxes. These boxes had U.S. Army Air Corps markings and WWII dates. There are so many of these around that I have long suspected that other branches of the service must have also issued them. There are also compasses like these, but dated 1917. But that's all I know about them so far.

Best regards,
Greg