It's a wind up!

[Boomlander]

Hi all,
Just shelled out £182 for a Series II glove box clock only to find it didn't work when I connected it to a battery!
Not being sure what was wrong with it - dead motor, seized or broken gears etc. and other work needed on it to bring it up to good condition - I decided to send it back for a refund.
Search goes on for a decent working unit but in the meantime this 1930s Smiths clockwork one runs for 8 days on a wind up and even keeps perfect time!

[RobThomas]

Why not just get a new facia printed up? Mine cost 50p. Then you just glue it to the old face and paint the hands red.

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[Boomlander]

Good idea - where did you get your speedo dial printed?

[Ian46]

Was this the MM clock on 'Fleabay' recently? I was tempted to bid.

[Boomlander]

Yes the very same, advertised as working but dead as a dodo.

[firedrake1942]

There was a chap on here in Australia asking about some odd rear lights in the not too distant parts whoo appeared to have shedload of clocks and speedos of this type. If he is selling and they work it may be worth the shipping ?

[palacebear]

OP was 'kiwimorrienut' on 27/03/17.
Posted in General duscussion > Do you know...? > Mysterious rear lights.
Post has picture of numerous S-MM / early S-II stuff including clocks and speedos.

[firedrake1942]

Post link. Definitely some clocks

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=66396&p=602076&hil ... us#p602076

[RobThomas]

Boomlander. I got them printed just down the road from me. Cost under a quid each. Sadly, someone ripped off the picture and started selling them on Ebay for loadsa-money when I could have given them away for free. Gryf Ketcherside, who did the graphics, didn't get enough credit for the wonderful work he did.

[Boomlander]

Thanks Rob.

[RobThomas]

Do you want me to see if I can get a HIGH quality print? Might be mor like a fiver but I can even get it printed (Sublimated) directly onto ali sheet in colour. You could then add an Ikea clock mechanism.

[Boomlander]

That's very kind of you, it may be the answer if I cannot source an original clock.
Let me know how much you would like for the printed aluminium clock face as and when.

[pde2000]

The 12V smiths clock is a terrible design, as there is an electrical contact that supplies the solenoid on every tick, to keep the balance wheel in motion. This metal peg wears down over the years, and the sprung contact also wears, so there s a notch on the peg, and the performance of the contact gets pretty unreliable. I was constantly restarting the clock, but have now swapped the mechanism for a cheap 1.5V (AA) wall clock mech. It doesn't drain the battery.

There was a shop in North Weald that had a new in box one, but it was £100, 20 years ago.

[palacebear]

If you're lucky (unlucky??) enough to find a Smiths instruction leaflet (supplied with the clock if it was a dealer-fitted accesory), it was recommended that the clock was cleaned/serviced every two years. The contacts on the balance wheel suffer from carbon build-up thus insulating the contacts. My Austin A50's Smiths clock (same movement but smaller) failed twice in seven years, being revived both times with a dose of switch-cleaner and sewing-machine oil, plus VERY gentle scraping-off of carbon deposits using a non-magnetic watch-makers screwdriver.

[IaininTenbury]

Many years ago, Minor Developments of Kidderminster produced a batch of repro clocks, using a 1.5v clock mech. They looked very convincing, even more so after 18years in my convertible dashboard, where a bit of fading makes it look really good.

[Boomlander]

You're right, a battery powered mechanism would be the ideal solution if I can source a non working clock for reasonable money.
The purists at the local shows would take great delight in telling me that my old Smith's clock is "THE WRONG ONE"...one guy even tut tutted because Jethro has a few "FOREIGN BOLTS" (he meant metric). I had to laugh - which made matters worse as he was obviously the world's most pre eminent expert on Classics (Tartan socks and Sandals ).

[Boomlander]

Finally found a Smiths glove box clock in good cosmetic condition.
Didn't pay a fortune for it so not bothered about the mechanism not working.
Just waiting delivery of a new quartz drive movement for it and hoping to fettle the original red hands to fit it.
Clock face, bezel, glass and main case are all good - just had to knock up a bracket to lock the clock in position.
Will post some pics when final assembly starts...........

[pde2000]

I had to use the plastic hands that came with the clock, but i am sure some ingenious method can be found.

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[palacebear]

Quartz movements have (believe in or not) European standard size spindles for the hands. Sadly, old Smiths clocks do not. However, older Smiths clock hands are made of the same, quite pliable alloy as used on the printed dial plate. I imagine that hands cut from an old dial plate could be quite easily fabricated then painted red.
Although I personally have no need for an MM clock, I'm going to try it when I can get hold of an intact one to mess around with.

[Boomlander]

Tried to gently enlarge the spindle hole in the original thin alloy hour hand to fit the larger spindle on the quartz mech.
Drill bit promptly grabbed the metal and tore it into oblivion!
Will be using the plastic hands that came with the mech. and the remaining original hand to get a pot of the correct red enamel.
Oh well if at first and all that............Hope it looks OK in the finish.