Watchismo Times

1940 Puja Thermo-Pneumatic Clock

Published: October 08, 2008 | 16:03

Simple looking clock, right?

Now look inside and see the thermo-pneumatic tube movement!

"At the lower left, shielded by a translucent housing, is a carbon rod resistance that heats the colored alcohol in the glass vessel just above it. This causes some of the alcohol to vaporize, the pressure pushing the liquid up the connecting pipe to the vessel at top right. As the latter gets heavier the wheel bearing the four vessels experiences a torque that rewinds a remontoire spring driving a conventional gear train and escapement. This clock has a pendulum-controlled escapement, but models with balance wheel escapements also existed."

The firm of Jauch and Schmid was registered in 1930.

The back of a Puja clock from German firm of Jauch and Schmid.

Original advertisement for a 1940 Puja Clock

via Clock-Museum.co.uk
via DSELF

And thanks to Greg Blonder of Genuine Ideas and his similarly conceived thermoscopic solar motor inventions-->LINK

See also;
All Watchismo Times Clock Posts
All Escapement Posts
All Offbeat Posts

| Watchismo Blog | Watchismo Shop | Contact Us | Subscribe |

Source: watchismo.blogspot.com

Permalink labels (6)Flag

All 1940s WWII clock clockwork escapements offbeat

1947 Wrist Lighter from Mechanix Illustrated

Published: November 29, 2007 | 03:16

In addition to the knife watch from Sicura, strangulation watch from James Bond and the self-Defenseband, this antique novelty lighter watch is the perfect gift for that murderous paranoid arsonist in your family!

"Wrist Lighter is the latest novelty for the smoker. Strapped on the wrist, and outwardly resembling a watch, it lights when the cover is flicked back, as demonstrated above. It is being marketed by Samuel Jones, Ltd., London."

via Modern Mechanix

1947 Issue of Mechanix Illustrated

Source: watchismo.blogspot.com

Permalink labels (7)Flag

All 1940s antique eccentric gadget inventor novelty offbeat

Triangulorology - Thirteen Three-sided Timepieces

Published: October 23, 2007 | 14:25

Tired of circular and rectangular shaped cases? Me too! So then, here is a varied collection of triangular watches over the decades...

Triangulorology - Thirteen Three-sided Timepieces

1950s Cartier driver sideview watch
"Baguette à cadran incliné et mouvement Duoplan"
Dial is hinged at the apex allowing to rotate on axis

1970s Jaeger LeCoultre

1959 Patek Philippe prototype designed by Gilbert Albert
(valued well over $100,000)

1940 Jaeger LeCoultre "Duoplan" driver style sideview watch
(smallest mechanical movement)

1990 Gerald Genta "Les Nights"

with triangular hands and pyramidal stepped bezel

1961 Prototype Hamilton Electric Ventura
Mahogany & Mother-of-Pearl Pacer Prototypes

And there can't be any definitive triangular retrospective without the mysterious world of Masonic watches...

1940s Cervine Masonic Wristwatch

Other Masonic Watches
Top: 1920 Tempor 8 day keyless Dashboard Timepiece
Bottom: 1930 Tempor & Hiram Pocketwatches

1950s Louvic Mystery Dial
(hands on discs)

Unknown 1970s dynamic scattering LCD sideview
Very rare triangular prototype

Photos via Antiquorum and Rene Rondeau

Source: watchismo.blogspot.com

Permalink labels (10)Flag

All 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s antique asymmetrical cartier jaeger lecoultre masonic vintage

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Cartier World Time Clock

Published: October 15, 2007 | 12:48

An onyx clock given to former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Pierre Cartier will be auctioned and is expected to fetch up to $1 million (€710,000).

The clock, containing time zones for locations important to Allied forces in World War II, is being offered for sale on Dec. 4 at Sotheby's Manhattan auction house.

Cartier sent Roosevelt the gift on December 20th, 1943 with a letter in which the French jeweler wrote, “My countrymen are particularly grateful for what you are doing for them, and we realize that it will be thanks to your efforts and marvelous leadership that France will again live.” Cartier continues, “I have thought that a clock marking the time in the different parts of the earth where the glorious American armies are fighting – a clock which therefore will mark the hour of victory – might be a useful addition to your desk.”

President Roosevelt, in his letter from the White House thanking Pierre Cartier, replies, “And, too, I am intrigued by the differing times of world capitals. Soon, very soon, I hope that Paris will resume her place among the free capitals of the world. All of us are doing our best toward that end.”

The letters are not part of the auction and are housed in the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Herald Tribune via Luxist

Enter The Watchismo Times 1st anniversary vintage chronograph giveway!-->LINK

| Watchismo Blog | Watchismo Shop | Contact Us | Subscribe |

Source: watchismo.blogspot.com

Permalink labels (8)Flag

All 1940s WWII auction cartier clock history military world time

At the Auctions - 1930 Tissot 1940 Rolex 1950 Cartier

Published: October 04, 2007 | 02:46

Some nice looking vintage offerings at the upcoming October Antiquorum auction in Geneva. Above, a 1930s Tissot Staybrite Chronograph with very unusual lugs. Estimate $2500-$4200-->Link

An untouched 1946 Rolex Square Antimagnetique est. $25,000-$32,000-->Link

This very rare 1940s Audemars Piguet triple date moonphase chronograph is expected to bring in over $100,000-->Link

And a 1950 platinum and diamond Cartier "Gouvernail Ronde Squelette" could reach over $200,000-->Link

Enter The Watchismo Times 1st anniversary vintage chronograph giveway!-->LINK

| Watchismo Blog | Watchismo Shop | Contact Us | Subscribe |

Source: watchismo.blogspot.com

Permalink labels (11)Flag

All 1940s 1950s auction audemars piguet cartier chronograph mid-century over $100k rolex tissot vintage

Ticking Time Bombers - 1943 Hamilton Bombtimer

Published: August 28, 2007 | 15:15

The 1943 Hamilton Bombtimer, not actually a wrist or pocket watch, but mounted on a turret within a World War II bombadier's compartment so he could time the duration between bomb drop and detonation.

Two Bombtimers modified for the wrist

Additional Bomb Timer info from Rene Rondeau, Vintage Hamilton Watch Expert;

"A curious and largely unexplored topic..... There's nothing about them in Whitney's comprehensive "Military Timepieces", and they're not even listed in Hamilton's own WWII production summaries. There's one wartime ad that shows it (seen below).

These were made with the dial in either horizontal orientation as seen in the picture on top, or more "watch-like" vertical arrangement just below it (provided by the 2007 "Complete Price Guide to Watches". Usually the second hand is double-ended, one end with an arrow tip and the other with a simple point. I don't really know why. I suspect the second hand in the attached picture is a replacement since it's not even long enough to reach the seconds track.

They always have a pusher on the back edge as a hacking mechanism. It stops the balance and allows it to be set to the second. The movement is a standard 980.

The attached ad shows it being used as a training aid, in conjunction with a movie camera to film "hits". According to Hamilton employees and a couple of veterans I've talked to, these were primarily used to record bombing runs. Just as shown in the ad when used with a machine gun, the watch would be mounted into a bomb sight with a camera filming the release and detonation of a bomb, and the timer filmed as part of the image to record the exact moment of each step.

Needless to say these were never originally intended to be worn as watches, but lots of collectors mount straps by punching a hole in a conventional strap and bolting it to the case end."

WWII Advertisement featuring Bombtimer

(bottom right under crosshaired airplane)

Found a vertical version on Amazon

Source: watchismo.blogspot.com

Permalink labels (7)Flag

All 1940s hamilton history military multi function vintage weapon

THE WATCHISMO TIMES WATCH BLOG A reliquary of obscure timepieces from bygone eras as well as the cutting-edge watch designs of today.

1940 Puja Thermo-Pneumatic Clock

The firm of Jauch and Schmid was registered in 1930.

1947 Wrist Lighter from Mechanix Illustrated

Triangulorology - Thirteen Three-sided Timepieces

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Cartier World Time Clock

At the Auctions - 1930 Tissot 1940 Rolex 1950 Cartier

Ticking Time Bombers - 1943 Hamilton Bombtimer

Report "Watchismo Times"