Guest Gary Davidson Posted 9 July , 2005 Share Posted 9 July , 2005 I was curious about the removable pocket watch clock that I have seen mounted on the instrument panel of many RFC aircraft. At what point did this panel mounted clock make the transition to the pilot’s wrist? Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 10 July , 2005 Share Posted 10 July , 2005 Gary Prior to, and during, the Great War, wristwatches were a comparitive novelty. In Brophy and Partridge's The Long Trail - What the British Soldier sang and said in 1914-1918, wristwatch is mentioned as a being both a noun and an adjective for something seen as being in the best style, eg "He was talking pukka wristwatch" meaning to speak in a blasé style. Modern-minded airmen might have been early users of the small watches on the wrist, but they would have been very difficult to look at in flight, when buried by a tunic, overalls and gloves, so a small clock on the instrument panel would have been necessary to keep track of the time. Regards Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary Davidson Posted 10 July , 2005 Share Posted 10 July , 2005 Gareth -- Thanks for that. Here is a picture of the type of watch I am talking about. Basically a pocket watch encased in a removeable leather wrist band. This particular model is French, and has military time marked around the dial in red. I have seen a few of this type of watch on the web listed as a pilot's watch -- as opposed to the more commonly found "trench watch." Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary Davidson Posted 10 July , 2005 Share Posted 10 July , 2005 And the back of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 10 July , 2005 Share Posted 10 July , 2005 Gary I think the idea was that the watch was fixed to the instrument panel while the aeroplane was flying, and removed to the pilot's wrist when it wasn't. If you've read V M Yeates' Winged Victory you'll remember that pilots frequently reminded to remove the watch from a crashed or force-landed aircraft. Obviously, they made attractive souvenirs! Regards Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary Davidson Posted 10 July , 2005 Share Posted 10 July , 2005 Gareth -- You are probably right. By the way, I believe "wristlet" was the name for the leather band for this type of watch. Here's a picture of a soldier wearing one. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gary Davidson Posted 10 July , 2005 Share Posted 10 July , 2005 I might have answered my own question, here is a link to a mini history of the wristlet. http://people.timezone.com/mfriedberg/arti.../Wristlets.html Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 10 July , 2005 Share Posted 10 July , 2005 Gary Thanks for the link, it was fascinating. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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