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Post a pic of something you have, that you think nobody else has.

108K views 716 replies 209 participants last post by  SpankyTheDolphin 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Figured this could be another fun entertaing thread. No fights, no politics, just interesting and maybe educational.

If you have something someone else already posted call them on it.

I'll start.

This is a Hardens Hand Grenade Fire Extinguisher.



My father found a case of these while checking out an abandoned school in Harlem during the late 1950s. He was NYPD and checking for vagrants.

On one side it says

Hardens Hand Grenade Fire Extinguisher.



On the other it says

Patented No.1

AUG 8 1871

AUG 14 1883



As an interesting side note.

Anyone remember the TV show Wonderama?

I was on that show when I was a kid.

Kids used to bring things in that were unusual for a show and tell type thing. I brought this.
 
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#6 ·
Maybe 35 years ago I was in the country somewhere, could have been PA, and I was in an antique store. There had been a massive flood there at one time and this insulator was from a power pole that had been knocked down. It was made by WhithallTatum Co. No. 1 (size i guess)
 

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#16 ·
Fun thread.

Here's something I think no one here has since they only made 250 of them.

Colt "Custom Cobra"

 
#92 ·
We had one of those when I was I kid. Dad used it all the time.
I'll bet the people who bought the house still have it.
Thanks for the memories!
 
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#27 · (Edited by Moderator)
Yes!

Heritage
By William George Shuster, Senior Editor
This story appears in the November 2001 issue of JCK magazine

Renowned accuracy. Hamilton's wartime contributions took many forms, but most obvious to the nation's sons and daughters in uniform were its watches, long known for their accuracy. That aspect of Hamilton's

By 1940, Hamilton was one of America's best-selling watch brands. It had its own designers, engineers, physicists, and metallurgists and was a leader in horological research in watch oils, hairsprings, jewel bearings, and escapement design.

Then came Dec. 7, 1941, and the Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, followed by America's declaration of war on Dec. 8.

Chronometers needed. Hamilton's most important achievements in World War II were its marine chronometer and chronometer watches. Indeed, its marine chronometer is considered by many horological experts to be the finest ever produced. What makes that accolade even more impressive is the fact that, until World War II, Hamilton had never made such a timepiece.

Chronometers were must-have naval equipment because precise timekeeping is essential to ship's navigators in calculating longitude and plotting location and direction. "Without exact time," says Rondeau, "an error of a few seconds can put a ship miles off course."

The war in Europe, which began in 1939, forced the U.S. military to consider its critical need for these timekeepers-especially in light of the "acute chronometer shortage" that plagued U.S. forces during World War I, notes Steve Dick, historian of the U.S. Naval Observatory.

A cessation of America's supply of marine chronometers and chronometer parts-available at that time only from Europe-seemed likely. Germany, a world leader in watchmaking, was one of the belligerents and certainly wouldn't provide them. Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin was a leading provider to the U.S. Navy, but Switzerland was surrounded by war, its neutrality held captive by the whims of the combatants.

England also produced chronometers, but it was under Nazi air attack, with the outcome uncertain. Moreover, the maritime needs of England's Admiralty prevented it from supplying the United States.

Even if Europe's supply of marine chronometers had continued at prewar levels, it wouldn't have been enough. The U.S. military needed thousands, but prewar production was slow and expensive. The annual output of England and Switzerland combined was only 300 to 400 units-for all world markets.

Studying the problem. So, the U.S. military knew it had a big problem: It needed a reliable high-volume source of marine chronometers, but no U.S. watchmaker made them.

Many American watch firms, however, did mass-produce high-quality pocket watches and wristwatches. So, in mid-1939 and again on June 26, 1940, the United States Naval Observatory (the U.S. authority on timekeeping, chronometers, and other navigational equipment) sent letters to eight watch companies, inviting them to create American marine chronometers. Hamilton replied on July 2, expressing interest and requesting a sample chronometer for study. After deliberation by its experts and officials, Hamilton agreed on Feb. 26, 1941, to tackle the project.

Over the next months, the engineers, technicians, and watchmakers in Hamilton's Research and Work laboratories and Product and Equipment Design sections studied chronometers, the Nardin model, and maritime and military needs. Then they applied their own insights and expertise to develop new and improved models and testing apparatus more stringent than the USNO's. Meanwhile, Hamilton's Mechanical Department created the dies, tools, and equipment to produce the new timekeepers.

On Feb. 27, 1942, 13 weeks after Pearl Harbor and exactly a year after it had begun the project, Hamilton Watch Co. delivered two prototypes for review to the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. USNO officials were "simply astonished," says Rondeau, by their precision, innovations, and reproducibility.

An amazing achievement. Hamilton's marine chronometer (Model 21) was based on traditional ones but with several improvements. Most evident was a unique balance and hairspring assembly, a radical departure from traditional chronometer design. According to the late Marvin E. Whitney, the preeminent authority on military timepieces, this new assembly "resulted in phenomenal timekeeping rates." Also noteworthy was the modified detent escapement.

Such improvements made Model 21 more accurate than any other marine chronometer. In fact, horological expert and former British Museum curator Richard Good called it the most accurate portable mechanical timepiece ever made. Properly maintained, it kept time to within a half-second per day. (The Navy requirement, says Dick, was no more than 1.55 seconds.)

Just as important, Hamilton's marine chronometer was the first to be designed for mass production using that most American of inventions, the assembly line. Until then, marine chronometers had been made slowly, by hand. It was assumed that the fine tolerances needed for such precise performance were impossible to achieve (or maintain) with mass production.

Nevertheless, while Hamilton's watchmakers and technicians were developing the chronometer, its engineers and production staff were adapting the factory's equipment and assembly lines-and training Hamilton's assembly line personnel-for the precision manufacturing needed to reproduce large numbers of marine chronometers. Whereas England and Switzerland together had made 300 to 400 per year, Hamilton expected to produce that amount monthly-"an amazing accomplishment," says Rondeau. Hamilton proudly called its chronometers "a unique product of amazing precision," but according to a 1943 company report, it considered its ability to mass-produce them its "greatest [wartime] achievement."

American know-how. Hamilton's prototypes passed the Navy's tests, and the company was contracted to produce chronometers for every American vessel. "For years and years, the United States has been dependent upon European countries for our chronometers," declared Capt. (later Commodore) Julius Frederick Hellweg, the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory from 1930 to 1946. "Now, thanks to Hamilton, we have thrown off the yoke."

(It's worth noting that Elgin National Watch Co., then a major U.S. watchmaker, also had Navy contracts to create a marine chronometer. However, World War II ended without any Elgin chronometers being put into service.)

Hamilton's production started slowly (number 60, now in Rondeau's private collection, was delivered in early November 1942) but soon rose to 300-500 pieces per month, reaching a peak of 546 in October 1944, according to USNO's Steve Dick. (During the same period, Hamilton reduced its price for the Marine chronometer from $625 to $390.)

By the time the war ended in mid-1945, the watch firm had delivered 10,902 of these magnificent timepieces, enough for "all the ships at sea," as Rondeau put it. It was a feat "nothing short of a miracle," said Capt. H.T. Chase of the Navy Bureau of Ships.

But it wasn't only the Navy (which bought 8,902) that used them as master time sources. The Army Air Force bought 500, and the Maritime Commission bought 1,500. One was also given to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who kept his in the White House map room "where we maintain a day and night watch," he wrote. Hamilton continued making marine chronometers after the war, for a total of 13,984 by 1970, when it ended U.S. production.

"In effect, the Hamilton Watch Company transformed the production and maintenance of precision timekeepers from an arcane craft to a routine and was able to meet the demands of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets of the U.S. Navy and the needs of the Allied merchant marine in both oceans," wrote Dennis Chapman, an English historian specializing in technology, in a 1996 essay on military timepieces in the Horological Journal of the British Horological Institute. "This achievement, comparable to mass production of Liberty ships and the ubiquitous 'Jeep,' was a triumph of American 'know-how' and 'can-do.' "

Chronometers for all. Every U.S. vessel (and many belonging to U.S. allies) used a Hamilton chronometer for navigation. Battle-ships and aircraft carriers used Model 21, housed in a glass-covered wooden box, with its movement swung on brass gimbals to keep it level-and accurate-even in the roughest seas.

Model 22 (patented by Hamilton in the summer of 1942 and first produced in 1943) was used as an auxiliary timer on those big ships, and for navigation on most others (such as destroyers, submarines, merchant marine and hospital ships, tankers, and escort vessels). It was a chronometer watch (with a lever escapement), not a marine chronometer (which has a detent escapement). However, like the marine chronometer, it incorporated a number of innovations, including a 60-in.-long mainspring for steady power, and an innovative "safety setting." (A pin had to be depressed to pull out the crown, making it impossible to accidentally pull up the crown and rotate the hands while winding it.) Though smaller and less delicate than Model 21, the Model 22 also was kept in a gimbaled wooden box.

Small vessels like PT boats used Hamilton's Model 22 Deck Watch. It had the same 35-size movement as Model 22 but resembled an oversized pocket watch in a box. Another Hamilton creation, the Model 23 chronograph-or "navigational time and stop watch," as Hamilton's literature called it-was the first of its type made in America. It was issued to the air forces in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

'A most reliable instrument.' Hamilton chronometers were so essential to the war effort, they had their own 95-page Navy maintenance manual and received special care. Naval regulations prohibited moving a ship's chronometer-its master time source-about the vessel. So, a "comparing [pocket] watch" (such as Hamilton's Grade 2974B model) was used on deck and when the navigator took sightings on his sextant (after comparing his watch with the chronometer). A crewmember, usually the chief quartermaster, was charged with ensuring that the ship's chronometer was wound every day and was properly maintained. He was also responsible for its safety, wrapping it and "putting it to bed" in case of battle and taking it with him if the crew had to abandon ship.

Watch historian Marvin Whitney wrote that Hamilton's timekeeper "proved to be a rugged and most reliable instrument under some of the most severe conditions to which a timepiece was ever subjected. Hamilton's chronometers survived, without ill effect, some of the greatest naval bombardments ever known to man."

By war's end in 1945, Hamilton timepieces ruled the seas, air, and land, getting victorious Allied troops to where they were going-on foot or by ship, plane, tank, submarine, or troop train-using (to cite its wartime logo) "Hamilton Time." Says Rondeau: "It would have been impossible for the American military to achieve what it did in World War II without Hamilton."

Many in the military services agreed. Henry H. Arnold, commanding general of the Army Air Force saluted Hamilton for "providing aircraft instruments [that] played such an important part in [the Allies'] completely successful victory." Admiral Arleigh Burke said the U.S. battle fleets in the decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in history, were "absolutely dependent" on Hamilton's chronometers for "the accurate time essential to successful naval operations."

Honored for excellence. The government realized that, too, and recognized the watch firm often for the quality, innovation, and quantity of its timekeeping products. In fact, Hamilton was the first watch firm to receive the Army-Navy "E" Flag and subsequent "E" stars for production excellence.

On June 14, 1945, Commodore Hellweg-the U.S. Naval Observatory superintendent himself-came to Pennsylvania to pay tribute to Hamilton's officials and employees and to offer "the Navy's deep appreciation and our congratulations.

"Your chronometers and watches have built up a reputation among men of the fighting fleet, whose safety depends on accurate time," he told them.

"During the past two critical years," he said, the U.S. Navy had "carried more Hamiltons than any other make in the world [and] Hamilton's instruments vitally aided the prosecution of war. Without Hamilton's wholehearted assistance, I don't know what we would have done."

To receive the latest jewelry news and blogs every day, subscribe to JCK's e-newsletter here.
 
#28 ·
Terrific thread!

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#30 · (Edited by Moderator)
Here's another one. A 1937 "Navy" 1911. As one of 2,349 pistols produced in 1937, it is one of the rarest M1911A1's of all. I bet quite a few of the 1937 models are on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

 
#33 ·
I lol'd
 
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