Smiths MK 2 8-Day RAF Aircraft Clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1941
This is a 1941 British RAF 8-day cockpit aircraft clock attributed to Smiths, catalogued under reference 6A/1104. The clock is housed in a black plastic casing measuring 54 mm wide, featuring corner mounting holes and a setting crown positioned at the bottom right.
The matte black dial displays luminous Arabic numerals, a railway minute track, cathedral hands, and the inscription '8 DAY'. Below the center arbor, the dial is marked with a 6A code and the designation '40891/41', which the source identifies as indicating a 1941 manufacturing date. The source notes a manual-wind mechanical movement with 7 jewels and an Air Ministry crown stamp on the backplate.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Ship's & marine clock
- Jewels
- 7
- Marking
- 40891/41
- Winding
- Manual
- Case Width
- 54mm
- Case Material
- Plastic
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Model Reference
- 6A/1104
- Maker / attribution
- Smiths
Design
- Visible features
- • Circular black dial surrounded by a black plastic instrument bezel and square mounting flange with visible screw holes. • Ribbed winding/setting crown positioned at the bottom right at roughly the 4:30 position. • Railway track minute scale with triangular luminous hour markers and Arabic numeral hour indices. • Cathedral-style hour and minute hands with aged luminous fill. • Dial marked '8 DAY' above center and '40891/41' above the 6 o'clock position.
- Dial Display and Markings
- Visual inspection reveals a black dial encircled by a railway-track minute scale, triangular hour markers, and Arabic numeral hour indices. Cathedral-style hour and minute hands display aged luminous fill, and the dial is lettered "8 DAY" above the center arbor. The dial also carries alphanumeric markings below the center arbor. Observation confirms the inscription "40891/41" positioned above 6 o'clock, which the seller interprets as "indicating manufacture in 1941." The seller additionally notes: "The dial is marked 6A - I cannot make out the numbers after this".
- Case Construction and Controls
- The clock is housed in an instrument housing constructed from black plastic with a circular bezel and a square mounting flange featuring screw apertures at each corner. The seller lists the width as 54 mm and the crystal as plexiglass. A control is situated at the lower right of the casing near the 4:30 position. Visual observation confirms a ribbed crown in this position, and the seller reports: "The time is set using the pin at the bottom right of the clock."
- Reported Movement and Markings
- The internal mechanism is not visible in the supplied photograph. In the listing specifications, the movement is documented as a manual-wind mechanical type with 7 jewels and an "Unknown" caliber; the seller claims it was "Recently serviced". The back of the clock is likewise not shown in the source photograph. The seller states that "The backplate is marked with the AM & crown stamp, denoting it as property of the MoD." Model reference "6A/1104" is also recorded in the seller's specification table.
- Source Documentation and Provenance Limits
- The seller states that "These clocks were produced and fitted to Mosquitos, Lancasters, Spitfires and Sunderlands amongst others", describing general aircraft applications rather than documented airframe provenance for this specific clock. The source provides no original paperwork or log books, marking "Box/Papers No/No". Manufacture in 1941 is based on the seller's reading of the dial marking "40891/41".
Identification
- Reference
- 6A/1104
- Serial number
- 40891/41
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Specific aircraft service history mentioned by the seller (such as Spitfire or Lancaster use) represents general type usage rather than documented provenance for this individual piece.
- Research required: The movement caliber is unknown and not exposed in the primary photograph.