Where Have All The Chronometers Gone?

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I think they must be with all those expensive slide rules that were in the fine leather cases. It's pretty much impossible to ind a good slide rule these days!

No it's not, I have a nice little collection going. I've concentrated in the most complex rules from each major manufacturer in the pocket size. I have some interesting specialty things.

[Adelie]

The only functional reason to have a mechanical timepiece is as a backup to all electronics after a lightning strike

[Jdege]

Originally Posted by Abottleofrum

TO THE REST OF YOU CHUCKLEHEADS SUGGESTING EBAY: Hey, those are great prices but you forget one little thing... the servicing. Its a Marine Chronometer of good quality is going for that low, do not rely on it unless it has been verified to have all factory original parts and serviced by a Marine Chronometer specialist.

I talked to an expert about my Poljot, and he convinced me that spending money on having it serviced made no sense.

It looks neat on my coffee table, but I rely on NTP for my time signals.

[hafa]

Amusing amount of thread drift here; the OP:

Originally Posted by charliehows

I keep a bit of an eye out for nautical antiques - never see old chronometers, must be a few around. Where have they all gone?

It seems to me that the OP (who has not posted again in this thread) was looking for antique chronometers to add to his nautical antique collection, rather than for actual use.

Originally Posted by Abottleofrum

TO THE REST OF YOU CHUCKLEHEADS SUGGESTING EBAY...

That would be me, but that's MR. Chucklehead to you, Bucky (see last paragraph in post before hitting "Post Reply"). While I'm not "certified" (although, perhaps certifiable), I am a long-standing member of the NAWCC and an active restorer and collector of 19th-century American pocket watches.

As I mentioned previously, Ebay, horological auctions and NAWCC events are the primary trading venues for horologists. My collection (over 75 items and counting), including a large parts inventory, was built up over years from finds on ebay (there's a bit of a dearth of events in Micronesia, for some reason). In addition to experience, there are resources such as the NAWCC forum which assist new horologists to learn about everything from determining authenticity to excruciating detail regarding restoration, repair and servicing.

For me, the NAWCC mission of "promoting [the] interest in and encouraging the collecting of clocks and watches including disseminating knowledge of the same." sums it up nicely.

In the FWIW department: Typical accuracy of watches in my collection after servicing is +/- 1 second per week. This varies little when they receive their subsequent annual service.

That said, on the boat, I have a Garmin GPSmap 78, an inReachSE, several smartphones, a ruggadized tablet and a notebook computer all with OpenCPN installed. I'll D@mned sure not be bringing any of my valued antiques on-board! If the zombie Apocalypse comes, I'll simply resort to Carolinian navigation.

[Abottleofrum]

Originally Posted by Jdege

I talked to an expert about my Poljot, and he convinced me that spending money on having it serviced made no sense.

It looks neat on my coffee table, but I rely on NTP for my time signals.

As I said, either one of those three is a catch 22. I stand by what I said, in the sense that if youre gonna buy off Ebay for use, you gotta make sure the movement is serviced.


At the same time... a working Poljot would be fabulous, even if just for the coffee table. But different strokes for different folks I guess.

[hafa]

Originally Posted by Abottleofrum

As I said, either one of those three is a catch 22. I stand by what I said, in the sense that if youre gonna buy off Ebay for use, you gotta make sure the movement is serviced.

Just make sure the seller has a receipt from a non-imaginary watchmaker showing the date of the service. You'll also need to either:

1. Take up horology as a full-time hobby
2. Find a competent watchmaker in your area

Running a timepiece that has not been properly serviced will result in unnecessary wear. Better to not run it, or only on run it on rare occasions, if you must.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by hafa

That said, on the boat, I have a Garmin GPSmap 78, an inReachSE, several smartphones, a ruggadized tablet and a notebook computer all with OpenCPN installed. I'll D@mned sure not be bringing any of my valued antiques on-board! If the zombie Apocalypse comes, I'll simply resort to Carolinian navigation.

Darn, I forgot about my Inreach. My previous post should have said eight independent GPS devices

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by StuM

Darn, I forgot about my Inreach. My previous post should have said eight independent GPS devices

I just quit counting...

I figure do out one trip that we had something like 25 independent GPS' on board, and god know she how many time pieces. I now work under the assumption that in the event all of them go bad at the same time I am probably dead as well.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by skipmac

If you want one just for looks or as a collectors item, as noted, plenty of them on eBay.

If you want one for accurate time or celestial navigation get a quartz digital. About 35 years ago I bought a $20 Casio, "water resistant" digital, solar. I took the back off and there was a tiny screw to adjust the rate (probably a rheostat). I tinkered with that until I got it down to less than 1 second per month (verified against WWV). Had it as deep as 300' fw, didn't change the battery for years and it's still going.

Exactly, for a unique curio, where accuracy doesn't matter, they are regularly available.

For actual navigation, you probably already have multiple accurate clocks onboard.

[Lepke]

I was a USN trained navigator before electronic time pieces. On warships, we carried 3 chronometers and took an average for time. Wind up chronometers are a pia. They keep fairly good time, but not accurate time. Close enough for a sailing ship in the ocean.
I always used WWV to setup a stop watch. I always could get time on the radio.
A digital watch is better than any chronometer I've seen.

[Abottleofrum]

Originally Posted by hafa

Amusing amount of thread drift here; the OP:



It seems to me that the OP (who has not posted again in this thread) was looking for antique chronometers to add to his nautical antique collection, rather than for actual use.



That would be me, but that's MR. Chucklehead to you, Bucky (see last paragraph in post before hitting "Post Reply"). While I'm not "certified" (although, perhaps certifiable), I am a long-standing member of the NAWCC and an active restorer and collector of 19th-century American pocket watches.

As I mentioned previously, Ebay, horological auctions and NAWCC events are the primary trading venues for horologists. My collection (over 75 items and counting), including a large parts inventory, was built up over years from finds on ebay (there's a bit of a dearth of events in Micronesia, for some reason). In addition to experience, there are resources such as the NAWCC forum which assist new horologists to learn about everything from determining authenticity to excruciating detail regarding restoration, repair and servicing.

For me, the NAWCC mission of "promoting [the] interest in and encouraging the collecting of clocks and watches including disseminating knowledge of the same." sums it up nicely.

In the FWIW department: Typical accuracy of watches in my collection after servicing is +/- 1 second per week. This varies little when they receive their subsequent annual service.

That said, on the boat, I have a Garmin GPSmap 78, an inReachSE, several smartphones, a ruggadized tablet and a notebook computer all with OpenCPN installed. I'll D@mned sure not be bringing any of my valued antiques on-board! If the zombie Apocalypse comes, I'll simply resort to Carolinian navigation.

That's MR. Bucky to you, chum! To address points...

1) *highfives* You're pretty cool already in my book. My collection only expands to early 20th century, but Im building. XD With a drive like that, you should shoot for the CW21 certification with AWCI.

In either event, if its SOLELY for antique collecting... yeah, Ebay is pretty sweet. I get parts off there all the time.

2) That rate is pretty sweet... but is that in 5 positions, or 6?

3) HAH! Carolinian navigation. Please. When the vampire werewolves attack, I'm gonna use a gnomon like a real man!

[hafa]

Originally Posted by Abottleofrum

My collection only expands to early 20th century

While most of mine are <1900, I have several that are as recent as 1918.

Originally Posted by Abottleofrum

2) That rate is pretty sweet... but is that in 5 positions, or 6?

I typically adjust for 6:

1. Dial Up
2. Dial Down
3. Pendant Up
4. Pendant Down
5. Pendant Left
6. Pendant Right

Wild Spectra Mobile is my tool of choice for general timing and positional adjustments. Note that I don't adjust all movements for positions, only those I carry on a regular basis, which are higher grade movements.

I'd love to add an Elgin, Waltham or Hamilton marine chronometer to my collection, but they typically sell for a minimum $2-3K; more than I've allocated for that niche.

[kmacdonald]

I see no reason to keep track of the date never mind the time while sailing. I am comfortable with three GPS'es.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Jeff Skelley

35 years ago I navigated my 1924 72' Alden schooner Bagheera exclusively by Plath Navistar sextant (currently for sale on this forum) and three identical $15 Casio watches. I synchronized them by visiting the captains of various cruise ships and we synchronized them with the cruise ship's chronometer while sipping tea or coffee on the bridge. The captains all graciously invited me aboard when hearing I needed the exact time for celestial (and seeing my schooner from their bridge!) I was able to find my position within the length of a football field in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific.

Jeff, I'm wondering how you determined that you had accomplished this astonishing feat of navigation?

Jim

[StuM]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

I see no reason to keep track of the date never mind the time while sailing. I am comfortable with three GPS'es.

Suppose that's OK when you only sail a small boat in one Bay