Need help Identifying Elgin stopwatch timer

FJP · Aug 12019

Recently acquired an Elgin stopwatch I have never seen before. The way the dial is marked it for timing a 5 mile run at between 120 and 500 miles an hour ?? It reaches the 30 mark (times 10=300) on the dial in 1 minute which as it states on the dial if you did a 5 mile run in one minute you would be traveling at 300 miles an hour. It reaches the 15 or 150 mark in 2 minutes and the 120 mark in 2 and 1/2 minutes. Does anyone have any idea what this could be for ? The dial is marked "KNOTS" at the top but nothing figures to nautical KNOTS. I have included Pictures. Thanks Frank

musicguy · Aug 12019

When I read your thread title I assumed it was a jitterbug 10 second timer
but obviously it's not. It is an interesting timer and I'm curious
what answers you will get.

Maybe water speed?

Can you post a photo of the movement.

Rob

GeneJockey · Aug 12019

Just to clarifyyou're saying the sweep hand takes 2 1/2 minutes to complete one circuit? Any idea of the rate of the balance?

FJP · Aug 22019

GeneJockey said:
Just to clarifyyou're saying the sweep hand takes 2 1/2 minutes to complete one circuit? Any idea of the rate of the balance?

Yes you are correct it takes 2 1/2 minutes to do one complete revolution. It seems to be standard 18000 bph on my timing machine.

Rick Hufnagel · Aug 22019

Do you have a movement photo? Really curious

Candew · Aug 22019

What is the serial number of the movement?

FJP · Aug 22019

Rick Hufnagel said:
Do you have a movement photo? Really curious

Looks like any other Elgin normal size balance to me but as I stated it seems to be timing a 5 mile run of something that would travel between 120 and 500 miles an hour

airplane perhaps ?

Rick Hufnagel · Aug 22019

The math pretty much works out. I can't get it exactbut it looks like just what it saysit's timing a 5 mile run.

I've never seen a boat hit 500mphbut I suppose a plane canlol. So just in my opinion.... It's for measuring the average speed of an airplane over 5 miles.

The serial number puts it at 1945ish. So WWII era.

If you started the timerand went 5 miles in an airplanewherever it stopped would be the nautical miles per hour. Or knots. Which is about 1.15 miles per hour according to the all knowing Google.

Candew · Aug 22019

I would say it is an aircraft timer of some sort.

Your math is close but this measures knots not MPH so the 12 (120) would be 138 mph and change and the 50 (500) would be 575 and change.

This has to be a special purpose made timer perhaps used to test the speed of newly developed aircraft flying different missions like full speedground attack or bombing runs over a set course.

Rick Hufnagel · Aug 22019

Just because not everyone uses these terms in daily life and I just learned today and was previously a little confused.

A nautical mile is distance. It is equal to 1.15 miles

A knot is speed. It is a nautical mile per hour. Or 1.15 mph

The timer doesn't know any of thisit just measures knots. When you click itand move 5 nautical milesand click it againit will show you how fast your average speed was in knots.

My next question is how do you know when you've hit 5 nautical miles? Perhaps like candew said.. a course is necessary.

GeneJockey · Aug 22019

Looks like a standard one-minute timer movementbut I'm guessing that the pinion that connects the 4th wheel and the center sweep wheel is it different so that it turns the center sweep wheel slower.

The serial number is part of a block that doesn't appear in the materials catalog.

FJP · Aug 22019

Candew said:
I would say it is an aircraft timer of some sort.

Your math is close but this measures knots not MPH so the 12 (120) would be 138 mph and change and the 50 (500) would be 575 and change.

This has to be a special purpose made timer perhaps used to test the speed of newly developed aircraft flying different missions like full speedground attack or bombing runs over a set course.

Thanks for your response and when I also thought it read in knots because it says "KNOTS". but I have tested this numerous times against a digital stopwatch and it takes exactly 2 1/2 minutes to cycle around once and hits the 12 (120) dead center as it does with 30 (300) at 1 minute and 15 (150) at 2 minutes DEAD ON. It acts like MPH If you figure 5 miles in 2 1/2 minutes is exactly 120 miles an hour (12) or 104.22 knots ??

FJP · Aug 22019

Rick Hufnagel said:
Just because not everyone uses these terms in daily life and I just learned today and was previously a little confused.

A nautical mile is distance. It is equal to 1.15 miles

A knot is speed. It is a nautical mile per hour. Or 1.15 mph

The timer doesn't know any of thisit just measures knots. When you click itand move 5 nautical milesand click it againit will show you how fast your average speed was in knots.

My next question is how do you know when you've hit 5 nautical miles? Perhaps like candew said.. a course is necessary.

Thanks you I was figuring in land miles not nautical miles DAAAA. That does figure.

FJP · Aug 22019

FJP said:
Thanks for your response and when I also thought it read in knots because it says "KNOTS". but I have tested this numerous times against a digital stopwatch and it takes exactly 2 1/2 minutes to cycle around once and hits the 12 (120) dead center as it does with 30 (300) at 1 minute and 15 (150) at 2 minutes DEAD ON. It acts like MPH If you figure 5 miles in 2 1/2 minutes is exactly 120 miles an hour (12) or 104.22 knots ??

Sorry I was figuring in land miles not nautical miles DAAAA. That does figure. It is gauged in "KNOTS"

Rick Hufnagel · Aug 22019

It's not 5 milesit's 5 nautical miles

It's 5.75 miles.

Which makes it 120 knots
Edit:
Sorry I didn't see your reply!

FJP · Aug 22019

Rick Hufnagel said:
The math pretty much works out. I can't get it exactbut it looks like just what it saysit's timing a 5 mile run.

I've never seen a boat hit 500mphbut I suppose a plane canlol. So just in my opinion.... It's for measuring the average speed of an airplane over 5 miles.

The serial number puts it at 1945ish. So WWII era.

If you started the timerand went 5 miles in an airplanewherever it stopped would be the nautical miles per hour. Or knots. Which is about 1.15 miles per hour according to the all knowing Google.

Thank you I was figuring in land miles not nautical miles DAAAA. That does figure.now from 120 to 500 nautical miles an hour. Airplanes do figure in knots at least for speed

FJP · Aug 22019

Rick Hufnagel said:
It's not 5 milesit's 5 nautical miles

It's 5.75 miles.

Which makes it 120 knots
Edit:
Sorry I didn't see your reply!

Thank you I was figuring in land miles not nautical miles DAAAA. That does figure.now from 120 to 500 nautical miles an hour.

Need help Identifying Elgin stopwatch timer

FJP

musicguy

Moderator

GeneJockey

FJP

Rick Hufnagel

Candew

Registered User

FJP

Rick Hufnagel

Candew

Registered User

Rick Hufnagel

GeneJockey

FJP

FJP

FJP

Rick Hufnagel

FJP

FJP

Similar threads

Find member

Latest posts

Staff online

All Online

Forum statistics