ANON – CWC = Cabot Watch Company. Serial No: 097/80 M
Ministry of Defence QUARTZ CHRONOMETER, Stores Ref: 6645-99-541-7361, circa 1980.
£345.00
Small mahogany box bearing labels on two sides with a thick rubber protected base, the dial facing upwards or indeed as wanted. German manufactured battery powered quartz movement marked ‘E 990 QUARTZ’ with hand setting knob and stop/start lever for the centre-seconds. The battery needed is a standard AA dry cell. The black dial is printed with white numerals having internal 13-00 hour notation. Approx 5 x 5 x 3 inches (12 x 12 x 7.5 cm).
The ‘CWC Addict’ website identifies these quartz chronometers as being supplied to the Hydrographic Department of the Ministry of Defence from around 1980 to circa 2000 by the Cabot Watch Company. They replaced the the standard mechanical HS^1 and HS^2 chronometers and complied with the DefStan (Defence Standard) specifications which were: the movement accuracy should be plus/minus 0.25 seconds per day at 20 degrees centigrade, be boxed in a hardwood case with a surface polish capable of providing protection from accidental splashing by water. Hands, dial and fittings should all be non-magnetic. A stop/start device shall enable the centre seconds hand to be synchronised with a time standard (hacking function) and, with the movement running, the hour and minute hands must be able to be set to time without affecting the centre seconds hand.
See Betts Marine Chronometers at Greenwich catalogue which shows a similar but unidentified example in their collection, page 683, and also my Profile No 5.
The Cabot Watch Company was set up in 1972 by Ray Mellor and have since been suppliers of timepieces to H M Forces: Army, Navy and Airforce.
A good example of the timepiece that marked the end of mechanical chronometers being used by British forces, of which many MOD Tenders for Sale were issued as the stock was cleared. Box showing some of the expected evidence of use, the movement functioning correctly – the images I show are of an identical machine.
Item reserved
Description
Small mahogany box bearing labels on two sides with a thick rubber protected base, the dial facing upwards or indeed as wanted. German manufactured battery powered quartz movement marked ‘E 990 QUARTZ’ with hand setting knob and stop/start lever for the centre-seconds. The battery needed is a standard AA dry cell. The black dial is printed with white numerals having internal 13-00 hour notation. Approx 5 x 5 x 3 inches (12 x 12 x 7.5 cm).
The ‘CWC Addict’ website identifies these quartz chronometers as being supplied to the Hydrographic Department of the Ministry of Defence from around 1980 to circa 2000 by the Cabot Watch Company. They replaced the the standard mechanical HS^1 and HS^2 chronometers and complied with the DefStan (Defence Standard) specifications which were: the movement accuracy should be plus/minus 0.25 seconds per day at 20 degrees centigrade, be boxed in a hardwood case with a surface polish capable of providing protection from accidental splashing by water. Hands, dial and fittings should all be non-magnetic. A stop/start device shall enable the centre seconds hand to be synchronised with a time standard (hacking function) and, with the movement running, the hour and minute hands must be able to be set to time without affecting the centre seconds hand.
See Betts Marine Chronometers at Greenwich catalogue which shows a similar but unidentified example in their collection, page 683, and also my Profile No 5.
The Cabot Watch Company was set up in 1972 by Ray Mellor and have since been suppliers of timepieces to H M Forces: Army, Navy and Airforce.
A good example of the timepiece that marked the end of mechanical chronometers being used by British forces, of which many MOD Tenders for Sale were issued as the stock was cleared. Box showing some of the expected evidence of use, the movement functioning correctly – the images I show are of an identical machine.