Ships clock & barometer for the wheel house

[JKMilligan]

Ditto on Weems & Plath - total garbage. Bought the barometer/temp and clock(w/tide). Only thing that works is the temp. Sent the barometer/temp back for repair and they said it was within spec. Sitting here looking at the clock not work with a new battery in it. Very cheap stuff with no quality control. If you’ve got a recent one that works it’s pure chance.

[Symphony]

In defense of the new Chelsea clocks, I bought a non-striker clock and barometer in 2008 and sold the boat with them still installed 7 years later. They worked perfectly and looked exquisite without any maintenance. I removed the battery during winter layup, as I do for any battery device on board.

[bobmcd625]

Interesting discussion about the clocks, but what about barometers?
I would like a accurate barometer for my home as well as on my boat.
Reviews of the electronic ones are not too encouraging and I don't know which of the mechanical ones are best. Comments?

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The Chelsea mechanical ones are the gold standard. They tick with a substantial, resonant sound, and you get to fuss around with them and wind them and they are a nice presence in the wheelhouse.


The new ones are quite expensive and allegedly not as good quality as the older ones. The old surplus U.S. Navy ones in bakelite cases are not in demand among collectors and can be found on FleaBay for reasonable prices. Then just have the mechanism overhauled and you're good to go.


Don't expect quartz accuracy but they will outlast you, and your children too -- they were built when clockmaking was a high art and are beautifully constructed with jewels in the high precision mechanism. The mechanism looks like a fine Swiss watch scaled up.


For example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-wor...8AAOSwj-BdJ6xh


Attachment 207389




That's the real deal, a real precision instrument, not a cheap Chinese toy like the Weems & Plath.


There are also Russian naval clocks on the market which are equally lovely, of equal quality, and even cheaper.

WE have an old chelsea on our salon wall - it loses maybe a minute every month (not important as we don't use a sextant for navigation) - but it is a joy to wind once a week and a joy to look at - much better than new clocks

[seacap]

Have had mine for 30 years. Gold plated mechanism. Forged case. Beautiful bell sound. Pricey. None better.
https://www.chelseaclock.com/4-1-2-s...on-double-base

[robertmfranklin]

The good ones (clocks, barometers, hygrometers) are nice to pass on to heirs. I think about that, but mine probably don't care. So its more for me than for them.

I find the hygrometer more useful than either of the others.

[CassidyNZ]

I put a new W&P on my boat back in 2007. Still works perfect although in the first few weeks it took a lot of calibration to match it to local weather stations. My only problem is that the “brass” housing has deteriorated to become quite ugly. It’s now more of an oddity that I rarely look while I have electronic weather reporting but out at sea it remains a useful source.

On a passage I log pressure at each watch change and more frequently if a steeper gradient becomes evident.

As an instrument I’m happy but as an aesthetic I’m not.

I’ve never really bothered with a ship’s clock and especially not these days when the GPS is always spot on in terms of time keeping.

[lewisa]

I curently have three shipstrike clocks: (1) a 1970's Sath Thomas Corsair which works perfectly and keeps very good time; (2) a 1970's Chelsea Quart Shipstrike branded as "Boston" - their quartz brand at the time -- which doesn't work well and was deemed unrepairable by Chelsea when I hand delivered it the factory in Chelsea, MA. They said the mechanism was no longer available; and (3) a 2006 Chelsea Quartz Shipstrike which keeps perfect time but lacks the robust chimes of the key-wound models. Chelsea mechanical clocks are undoubtedly the gold standard but they are priced by their weight in gold. The best buy for my money (new) is the Chelsea quarts clock/barometer pair.

[Symphony]

I like seeing the clock but the most useful thing when you are out and about from a marina is the barometer. I know there are lots of forecasts and NOAA and internet and PredictWind - I use them all - but you can always forecast the weather yourself because you are there in the spot on earth. Big forecasters and models cover huge areas, huge, and so things are an average wind and wave speed but our boat is in a particular spot on earth. the weather where we are at any time may not be the average weather!

precise barometric pressure is not important as watching the rate of change in pressure.
with your eyes on the sky and wind direction, noticing cloud type, season, and barometric changes you will have the information you need to keep your boat and passengers comfortable and feeling safe. A barometer is a fantastic tool.