Clock / Barometer recommendations please.

Baggywrinkle

Baggywrinkle

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I inherited a Plastimo clock and barometer set with the boat. They both work but the glass is missing from the clock, the hands are mangled and the battery is held in by bits of wire and tape.

Time for a new (or flea-bay) clock and barometer.

Against my better judgement I quite fancy one that chimes and has a mechanical mechanism rather than a soulless accurate quartz job. Anyone got any experiences/recommendations either way? Budget around €250 max.
 
I don't imagine many cheaper mechanical ones will be that accurate. So at that price for the pair, I'd go quartz.

We bought a nice Vion pair for our last boat. Baro was excellent. Clock lost or gained the odd couple of seconds a month.

The clock did tick, and although perhaps not quite as soothing a tick as a mechanical job, it gave a nice sleep inducing sound from the other side of the bulkhead when tucked up in the forepeak.

About £75 each for 4" ones if I recall rightly. Ours we're stainless, as we had no brass on the boat, but both were available.

In summary, I'd buy again in confidence.

Here they are before the boat was quite finished,

IMGP0621.jpg
 
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Simondjuk said:
I don't imagine many cheaper mechanical ones will be that accurate. So at that price for the pair, I'd go quartz.

We bought a nice Vion pair for our last boat. Baro was excellent. Clock lost or gained the odd couple of seconds a month.

The clock did tick, and although perhaps not quite as soothing a tick as a mechanical job, it gave a nice sleep inducing sound from the other side of the bulkhead when tucked up in the forepeak.

About £75 each for 4" ones if I recall rightly. Ours we're stainless, as we had no brass on the boat, but both were available.

In summary, I'd buy again in confidence.

Here they are before the boat was quite finished,

IMGP1132.jpg.html
Click to expand...

We have Vion too and can comfirm the quality. However, a word of caution, don't take the barometer on a plane in hold luggage. the huge drop in pressure totally screwed ours.
 
Rossynant said:
With due disregard of anything said above - precise time is on GPS ;)
http://www.ebay.com/sch/Clocks-/37966/i.html
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Antique-Clocks-/13851/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ships+clock
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Marine-Maritime-/66638/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=ships+clock

or check at Weems & Plath. I'm happy with an old one. At home...
Click to expand...

I've got every one in mainland Europe already bookmarked. Ruled out US due to problem mentioned by Steve Cronin - barometers don't like unpressurised aeroplane holds.
 
I should also have said, the Vion baro' has an expanded scale (see photo above), so is very easy to read down to the millibar, and has a non-sticky, no-need-to-tap-it mechanism, so the glass stays mark free.

Starting to think I should have kept them. :rolleyes:
 
LadyInBed said:
Buy a watch with a barometer function ;)
Else a LCD weather station.
Click to expand...
If your looking for practicality, for the Barometer I would suggest the weather station. It means that you can easily see a history of what pressure has been around, particularly if your log book keeping skills are weak. As for the clock, something no maintenance, mounted and big enough to see from the cockpit is my tip.

[URL="Station"]http://www.flightstore.co.uk/pilot-supplies-c1/weather-forecasting-c151/watson-weather-stations-c154/watson-w-8683-wireless-weather-station-p792[/URL]

Simondjuk said:
I should also have said, the Vion baro' has an expanded scale (see photo above), so is very easy to read down to the millibar, and has a non-sticky, no-need-to-tap-it mechanism, so the glass stays mark free.
Click to expand...
But If I am going to have to record the weather I like to tap the Barometer see how the needle jumps, gives an indication of how much change is going on...

Unless you have a real passion to wind the clock every time you are onboard, and make sure you have good routine etc I would steer clear of mechanical.

If your going for aesthetic's, its a judgment call against cost I guess...
 
I wouldn't take the movement of the baro's needle upon tapping to give any indication of scale of change. Most all needles move prior to the tap, and merely settle the last bit when encouraged. The Vion simply does away with the need for a tap to do the last bit.
 
Thanks for all the advice, I almost bought the Vion set, then deliberated over the W&P on Piplers of Poole but after a mooch on flea-bay with one too many beers, I had a moment of madness and bought these (only €8,55 over the original budget I might add) ....

schatzmec-1361108612-14170.jpg


http://www.ebay.de/itm/200897140118

..... so when that solar flare hits I'll still be able to tell the time, the temperature and pressure. :D:D

I've also got my paper charts, hand-bearing compass and HB pencil so I'm sorted, now where was that lead line and knotted string....... :confused:
 
Very nice. I presume that it is possible to silence the eight bells? Otherwise I can see the first sea lord having an issue with it.
 
Robih said:
Very nice. I presume that it is possible to silence the eight bells? Otherwise I can see the first sea lord having an issue with it.
Click to expand...

There's a little slider under the number 11 that silences the bells - so I think I'll get away with it.

Rear Admiral doesn't like the VHF being constantly on either, but the remote mic seems to have solved that problem.

We've got an overnight pasage planned for 1st/2nd May so may be allowed to use the bells then :D .... hoping it might help with regular log entries as I do miss the odd entry or don't quite make the hour (which makes average speed calcs more of a pain).
 
SWMBO gave me a mechanical ship's clock from Nauticalia. Apparently made by Schatz. Had to go back twice under warranty, then a couple of years later it stopped working and I took it to a proper watchmaker.

Apparently it's not a Schatz, but some German/Russian hybrid with steel parts inside, the cause of the problems owing to rust in a moist atmosphere... It's still working; it's nice having the ship's bells to remind you you're on watch in half an hour. I'm very envious of a friend who has a beautiful clock made for the US Navy by the Chelsea Clock Co. of Boston. It's got a chime like Big Ben.
 
LadyInBed said:
Buy a watch with a barometer function ;)
Else a LCD weather station.
Click to expand...

It doesn't have the character of a "proper" brass clock & barometer but, every few months, Aldi does a weather station with clock, barometer and graph of pressure over the last 12 hours. The clock is radio controlled, which means it's always going to be at least as accurate as the sun and, in my experience, the barometer stays accurate to within a millibar or two for the life of the batteries (a season or more).

Hard to beat for change from £20.

http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/special_buys3_27427.htm
 
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