Hermle Ship's Clock Quartz Mechanical Bell c1970s
Significance A rather rare, but probably not very valuable, Hermle Ship's Clock with a quartz movement and a mechanical bell, c1970s. In the 1970s many manufacturers moved from mechanical movements to quartz battery mechanisms following the general trend in the clock industry. In this case, the movement is quartz but the bell mechanical, operated by a small electric motor, for an authentic bell sound. Subsequent quartz movements have a loudspeaker and recorded bell sound as digital electronics improved. However, being a traditional ship's clock case, the older style eight-day mechanical movements proved resilient and popular, with sales continuing to the present day. Relatively few clocks with this mechanism were produced as it is a transitory development. Discussion Fairly large and heavy: 175 x 100 mm. Wall mount or on detachable mantle mount. The current cost of new key-wound clocks: ~US$800, Quartz-speaker: ~$500. Mine from eBay USA. Strike sequence: Four-hour ship...