Time clock

Stanley Chappell

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Can anybody tell me what is the correct clock for a series A comet1938 seems to me a lot of dodgy dealers with equally dodgy clocks on offer
Can please offer advice possibly a picture
 

billirwinnz

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Here’s a period advertisement showing the clock.
 

Attachments

  • 53CC06ED-A138-4A65-8126-979ED7A5E99B.jpeg
    53CC06ED-A138-4A65-8126-979ED7A5E99B.jpeg
    100.2 KB · Views: 101

Simon Dinsdale

VOC Machine Registrar
VOC Member
VOC Forum Moderator
Virtually all the 8 day clocks on eBay are car clocks and will not last when mounted on a motorcycle forks. They are also too large a case diameter and depth.
The correct motorcycle 8 day clock is the same size case as a motorcycle chronometric speedo case, uses the same glass and bezel and mounts the same as a speedo. The internals are more robust and mounted on a shock absorbing mount to allow the mechanism to have a chance of surviving. The motorcycle clock was also printed with Smiths on the face and not Jäger.
The cheaper and easier way of getting a correct looking clock that lasts is to fit a quartz battery clock mechanism inside a speedo body and get a face printed. The correct original 8 day motorcycle clock is very difficult and costly to find.

Simon
 

Michael Vane-Hunt

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Search fo Jager Clock mount for Comet C. There are pictures of the correct type of clock and spring mounted mechanism.
 

vibrac

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Yes a square battery clock stuck on my trials bike the one with a button to light up during night trials has done 3 years and two batteries I can imagine that in a Speedo body working well
 

Stanley Chappell

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Great help I have speedo case but where can I get quartz unit hands and most difficult the right face many thanks keep info coming that way none of us will buy and pay a lot money to dodgy dealers
 

Peter Holmes

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
It depends on how much of a purist you are, if you just want to know the time of day when you are riding, you can get some really nice analogue battery clocks, 35mm clock face, for very little cost, if you are using a 5" speedometer you can self adhesive tape it to glass, covering the overall mileage display leaving everything else visible, I have also used a 3" clock converted to a quartz mechanism, and they look very good, the one thing they struggle with is clunky hands, they just don't seem to get the fine detail that Smiths and Jaeger did, I guess the modern hands are made of plastic and for another (cheaper) market.
Getting stitched up on clocks is not a new (eBay) thing, I was stitched up in the late sixties or early seventies by Joe Shaw who owned Auto Tempo, I think he sort of took over all the Smiths Instruments stock when they packed up in Cricklewood, Joe assured me that he could provide me with an original 3" clock suitable for a Vincent Motorcycle, and he did, sort of, Jaeger! exquisite face and hands, a thing of absolute beauty, all fitted nicely into car dashboard type case, it ticks away beautifully, keeps good time whilst sitting on my desk, never been fitted to a bike, and probably never will be.
IMG_4364.JPG
IMG_4365.JPG
 

Simon Dinsdale

VOC Machine Registrar
VOC Member
VOC Forum Moderator
To make a replica clock with quatrz movement here is what I used:
Std Speedo body glass rim etc. Available online.

Quartz movement: https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/carriage-clock-round-uts?code=J3132M
Hands for above, select what you want:
I used: https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/spade-24-32mm

I drew the face up on the computer and then got a decent photo printing company to print it on 6x4. The yellow box scales the dial to the correct sze for 6x4 photo. Then glued the face to the back of an old speedo face and it has not faded in 10 years. The alternative is Russel at http://www.chronometrics.co.uk/ can probably print the faces as per the original method.

Solder wires to the battery terminals and run the wires into the headlight and fit a remote AA battery holder in there so easy to change the battery. The tricky bit is the support mount to hold it all in the speedo body. Don't forget to drill a hole in the bottom of the speedo body so you can get a small screwdriver in to reach the adjustment to alter the time as required.

Here is a picture of the replica I made and also the dial artwork.

Simon
IMG_1570.JPG
clock 8 day-1.jpg
 

Stanley Chappell

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
A nice looking clock sold on eBay for 260 yesterday was it the real McCoy? I think I will have a go at making one as Simons recommendation thanks stan
 
Top