WW2 German U-Boat clock

[River Rat]

Have any of you seen that movie Das Boot about a German U-Boat the part of the movie were they go deeper to escape being blown up by depth charges bolt's are popping because of the depth then that U-Boat clock crystal shatters. Not a lot of these survived the war the Allies were good at sinking them since we broke there codes need to see that movie about the code braker's one of these days. Well I just picked this up being ex Navy I collect nautical clocks now and then I have a lot of US Navy clocks they were easy to find and cheap in price compared to this one supply and demand since there few of them I paid some for this baby. This was made for the German Navy then called the Kriegsmarine could of come off a surface ship or a U-Boat it was made around 1939 by a company called Kieninger & Obergfell they made anniversary clocks before the war. The movement a eight day wind. The N under the numbers stands for the North sea fleet and the M under the bird some I know don't like is for Navy or Kriegsmarine this one is what I call museum quality. Now I need a WW2 British Navy ships clock next.







Most you don't see the black paint still on from what I read from the net the ones with black paint most likely came off a U-Boat.

[River Rat]

You know this thing was made so tough and to be water tight with a locking porthole type lid case made of solid brass if you miniaturize it mount it on a strap you would have a dive watch.

[amckiwi]

that is so cool thanks for sharing
Stu

[River Rat]

One thing I learned about this clock it has a Maltese cross controlling power in the mainspring were it gives the same amount of power to keep the time keeping constant with out that Maltese cross the clock would run more than 2 weeks instead of 8 days and time keeping would be the shit's. A link about how the Maltese cross works with a movie diagram that shows moving parts cool. It's also called Geneva drive. Wondered why it took less winds when I wind the clock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_drive

[cdnwatchguy]

Love that clock.

[Heuerville]

That's pretty cool. Plus - Das Boot - great film.

[marchone]

One thing I learned about this clock it has a Maltese cross controlling power in the mainspring were it gives the same amount of power to keep the time keeping constant with out that Maltese cross the clock would run more than 2 weeks instead of 8 days and time keeping would be the shit's. A link about how the Maltese cross works with a movie diagram that shows moving parts cool. It's also called Geneva drive. Wondered why it took less winds when I wind the clock.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geneva_drive

Never heard of Geneva drive or a Maltese cross like that. Cool history and applications.

[River Rat]

I wind all the clocks in the house on Wednesday well this one since it has the Maltese cross set up in the movement only four winds and done. My Seth Thomas and Chelsea ships clocks about 13 or more winds. Wonder why they never tried this in a wrist watch ? mite make them run more than two days on a wind up wristwatch movement using a Maltese cross in the movement and less winds when you wind it up. Think they have use it in pocket watches in the past.