Need a new barometer/clock

[Elemental]

My boat came with a clock and barometer mounted on a wooden backing which is screwed onto a bulkhead. Both the clock and the baro. are dysfunctional, and I rather miss both ...

Is it worth spending much money on high quality instruments or should I just replace the both with something cheap and cheerful like this off ebay?

The clock will be accurate enough (being quartz) and I find the baro useful for monitoring pressure trends (falling etc) rather than absolute pressure values.

 

[oldbilbo]

It seems the Buy It Now price is £24.99

The product looks, to me, rather tawdry and I found myself wondering how quickly the metal innards would rust. I guess one would be faced with forking out another £24.99 - or more - before long.

 

[VicS]

Your choice entirely


Cheap junk off ebay that might last a season or two or some decent quality instruments that will last as long as you need them to.

You dont have to pay the whole hog for solid brass cases you can get decent instruments in spun cases.

 

[smonard]

Although not traditional old boaty looking I installed a NASA meteoman,its shows pressure over a few days if you want , time, temperature, voltage and wind speed too if you have the masthead thingy.

My boat came with a clock and barometer mounted on a wooden backing which is screwed onto a bulkhead. Both the clock and the baro. are dysfunctional, and I rather miss both ...

Is it worth spending much money on high quality instruments or should I just replace the both with something cheap and cheerful like this off ebay?

The clock will be accurate enough (being quartz) and I find the baro useful for monitoring pressure trends (falling etc) rather than absolute pressure values.

 

[Ripster]

Think you would find that is just what it looks like - cheap ****. Thing is, these tend to be a quite visual point for the eye, so do you really want something so tacky for this. If the budget is tight, then perhaps a higher quality used one might be a better bet.

 

[the_branflake]

We managed to get a rather nice brass set off ebay. Took a while to find but they do come up. Its cleaned up a treat and looks lovely now.

 

[rob2]

It could be a difficult choice. Most quartz clock mecanisms are, I believe, plastic - so rust won't be an issue. The barometer is unlikely to be significantly different from the "better" instruments unless you are considering spending a LOT more. Still, at the price you might take a punt if you like the cosmetics. Just don't be too disappointed if they look bad or break after a few years.

Strangely, the Plastimo ones found on so many boats work OK, but the glass falls out regularly. Stuck back with a smear of clear bath sealant.

Rob.

 

[Conachair]

better off with an electronic barometer for pressure history and whatever you want to look pretty

 

[prv]

Still, at the price you might take a punt if you like the cosmetics.

The mounting board on the eBay one isn't even made of wood, it's plastic with a wood pattern printed on. Surely nobody likes those cosmetics?

Pete

 

[CreakyDecks]

My boat came with a clock and barometer mounted on a wooden backing which is screwed onto a bulkhead. Both the clock and the baro. are dysfunctional, and I rather miss both ...

If they are dysfunctional then fix them! They probably only need cleaning. If the mechanics of a clock are beyond you then replace its mechanism with a quartz one, they cost buttons, and sell the old one on ebay.

 

[Kukri]

To be honest, we all carry these in our boats because the Victorians did and they look nice. We don't need them because we get our weather forecast(and our time!) electronically

From time to time, decent ones pop up on Ebay at not-always-silly prices.

I'd be inclined to go without for a while and wait and see what turns up on ebay or at a boat jumble.

(confession time - Wempe mechanical ship's bell striking clock and barometer, Sestrel mechanical alarm clock in forepeak, ex RN deck watch in mahogany box under chart table - "don't do as I do, do as I say" )

 

[prv]

To be honest, we all carry these in our boats because the Victorians did and they look nice.

Yep, I have no problem admitting that I only added my set for decoration

Although the barometer has found a use lately in showing me when the water level is likely to be lower than the tidal prediction and hence I need to hurry to get on or off the berth.

Pete

 

[richardabeattie]

Is'nt it odd that so few of these brass clocks have an alarm clock function?

 

[Kukri]

Is'nt it odd that so few of these brass clocks have an alarm clock function?

Yes! I had a Sestrel one in my 18 footer and sold it with her... Sestrel went out of business and I prowled Ebay for ages before I found another! They actually called it the "Tidetimer" - a very accurate description of its function!

 

[Elemental]

If they are dysfunctional then fix them! They probably only need cleaning. If the mechanics of a clock are beyond you then replace its mechanism with a quartz one, they cost buttons, and sell the old one on ebay.

I never thought of replacing the clock mechanism. A quick trip to ebay confirms that I probably can replace the clock innards for a couple of pounds - never thought of that!

Actually, the only thing wrong with the barometer is that the reference pointer (the one you move to indicate the last reading) has disappeared. Heaven only knows where it's gone (it's not in the unit as far as I can tell). I suppose I could make a new pointer too....

 

[MoodySabre]

My old Simpsom Lawrence clock has just died and the barometer is looking manky (needs repolishing and relaquering so going cheap ). The cheaper ones are spun brass and laquered - thin metalwork and lightweight. I have a set of solid brass porthole ones lined up for my birthday

 

[rob2]

An old fashioned jeweller/clockmaker should be able to supply and fit a new pointer for pence. They're just a push fit onto the spindle - you'll need to have a reference to set it to the correct reading, though.

Rob.

 

[2Tizwoz]

My old Simpsom Lawrence clock has just died and the barometer is looking manky (needs repolishing and relaquering so going cheap ). The cheaper ones are spun brass and laquered - thin metalwork and lightweight. I have a set of solid brass porthole ones lined up for my birthday

Describes the problem nicely.

I bought a nice pair off ebay Simpson Lawrence quartz clock and Wempe barometer. The wood base and brass dials are the best quality and the clock was actually produced for Simpson Lawrence by Wempe.

Unfortunately the clock didn't just need a new battery as was suggested, but a new movement. hence the need to research its origins.

The German made 'Wempe' movement, which was an exact replacement of the original, came form a horology and jewellery supplier in Bradford for around a fiver. A.G.Thomas click here

 

[mcframe]

(confession time - Wempe mechanical ship's bell striking clock and barometer, Sestrel mechanical alarm clock in forepeak, ex RN deck watch in mahogany box under chart table - "don't do as I do, do as I say" )

In my copious free time, I *must* get round to writing a ship's bell iPhone App... ;->

 

[Simondjuk]

We brought a Vion clock and barometer for under £100 for the pair. The baro' matches local weather stations millibar for millibar and the clock hasn't been adjusted for about two years and is still within a minute or two of correct. They also look nice.

I wouldn't be without a barometer and check it frequently. Especially since an occasion on which an abruptly falling glass was the only thing that caused us to stop whilst en route to Gibraltar, pulling into Mazagon in benign conditions which only lasted a few hours before things changed dramatically causing us to spend three days there sheltering from entirely unforecast 50 to 60 knot winds. Had we not had the thing, nothing else would have alerted us and we'd have had a less than relaxing time.