Cockpit Watches

[WhiteWings]

Hi There!  I have been away for a bit but am back trying to finish my grandfathers' memoirs/diaries.  My grandfather Len Richardson, who served in 74RFC/RAF under Caldwell, refers to a large gold timepiece (they nicknamed it the Golden Timepiece of Montevideo!) they were given once in France. Anyone know what that might look like?  It had a chain and I think it might be a Mark V but they aren't huge and his description makes theirs sound rather unwieldy.

It's not a huge issue but I am curious!

Thanks!

 

[pierssc]

Hi

 

I have had a look through "British Military Timepieces" by Konrad Knirim and can't see any reference to issued RFC/RAF watches ever having gold cases - and gold really doesn't sound like the sort of extra expense HMG would run to anyway.  You would expect a Mark IV or V aircraft watch would be so common as to be hardly worthy of remark.

 

You say it had a chain - from the context does this mean a chain to hang it on, or a chain to wind it?  Is it possible that this might be an ornate wall clock with weights which had somehow found its way (by fair means or foul) into the Mess? 

 

What was the context in which this mighty timepiece appeared and what exactly made it noteworthy?  It just strikes me that someone is not very likely to make a diary entry about an aircraft watch as it is a standard bit of kit.  A particularly flashy and ornate watch is unlikely to have made its way onto an aircraft except if it were someone's private property.  So it seems rather more likely that we're dealing with a clock, rather than a watch, which was firmly ground-based!

 

Cheers

Piers