Purley Clocks

I took the following photos in Purley town centre (Croydon) in the rain. The clock tower is above a bakery and tea room called Munch. It's on the High Street (just off Brighton Road) and across the road from the public swimming pool.

Munch bakery and tea room

Clock tower above the bakery.
29 High Street, Town Centre
Purley, CR8 2AF

---

From the bakery if you walk along the pedestrianised walk way to Brighton Road you'll see another clock above Streets Ahead estate agency. This is a Smiths clock.

Clock above Streets Ahead estate agency on Brighton Road. A short distance behind the bus is Purley Cross Roundabout.

Smiths clock in the rain - thanks to pauljeacock for letting me know about this clock!

The clocks are very close to Purley Cross Round About. Here is a link I posted earlier this year about the clocks at the roundabout.

Location: Purley, Croydon (link on Google maps)

Smiths Clocks

Smiths produced clocks from 1931 to 1979. The clocks were mass produced making them affordable for most people, which results in many of the clocks now appearing in second hand sales, car boot sales, eBay etc.

I find the clocks interesting because they were manufactured during a time when there was a lot of change in the watch and clock making industry. Smiths made mechanical, synchronous, tuning fork, battery and finally quartz clocks - all trying to keep up with the latest technologies.

The clocks also demonstrate a range of design styles from pre World War II until the late seventies.

I have collected the following Smiths clocks:

	Model: June Type: Mantle Clock Movement: Mechanical 8 Day Floating Balance Production: 1959 to 1962 Acquired: 2008 - eBay - (£5) More Information: link
	Model: Ballyn Type: Mantle clock Dates Produced: 1974 Movement: Tuning fork Acquired: Saturday 19/12/2009 from Wimbledon (£2.00) More Information: link
	Model: Smith Sectric Dates Produced: - Movement: synchronous Acquired: eBay, 2007 More Information: link
	Model: QLR 900 - Smiths 5 hour mechanical timer Type: Timer Dates Produced: 1969 to 1971 Movement: Mechanical Acquired: 2009, boot fair (50p) More Information: link
	Model: Smiths Mantle Clock Type: Mantle clock Dates Produced: - Movement: Mechanical Acquired: 2009, eBay More Information: link
	Model: Clarion 2 Type: Alarm clock Dates Produced: 1959 to 1964 Movement: 30 hour mechanical Acquired: 6/9/2009 from Highams farm boot fair (50p) More Information: link
	Model: Smiths Enfield Wall Clock Type: Wall Clock Dates Produced: - Movement: Quartz Acquired: 2009, boot fair (£5) More Information: link

Smiths Tuning Fork Clock

This 1974 Smiths clock - model name: 'Ballyn', has a battery tuning fork movement. Due to the tuning fork resonating this clock does not tick - it hums. The resonating frequency is used to regulate the timing of the clock - which in it's day was one of the most accurate forms of a portable time keeper. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you see it) tuning fork movements didn't last long - they were soon replaced by much more accurate quartz movements.

I bought the clock (£2) this morning at the Wimbledon Stadium boot fair. The temperature was zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). I noticed the clock had a movement I didn't have in my collection but was in such a rush to get out of the cold and didn't notice it used a tuning fork until I got home.

Smiths - model: Ballyn - 1974 - tuning fork movement

The movement was made by Jeco of Tokyo and sold under license by Smiths. It is also under license to Bulova who developed the first tuning fork watch.

The text on the clock movement reads:

Smiths Industries Limited
Clock and Watch Division
Lic. Jeco
Pat. 559845
US Pat. 3208287, 3277644
Japan
Lic. Bulova

J. MacMichael

The following mantlepiece clock has a French movement made by Victor-Athanase Pierret (1806-93).

The clock case is a little damaged and I suspect the main spring needs to be replaced. I've taken the clock apart a number of times and cleaned and oiled it, but is stops running after 4 or 5 hours.

J MacMichael clock

'J. Macmichael
To The Queen
42 South Audley Street
W'

The back of the clock is stamped: V.A.P BREVETE S.G.D.G

Instructions:
"Eight day Time-piece, dead beat escapement, setting itself in beat with a good shake to give impulsion to the pendulum. wind up to the left. the small square in the center is to set the hands. to regulate it turn the pendulum ball to the left when it gains & to the right when it loses."

Synchronous Mechanical Clock

The following clock is a synchronous/mechanical clock. When the electric mains supply (220V) is available a synchrounous motor powers the clock and winds a mechanical mainspring. If there is a power failure the mechanical portion of the clock continues to run - powered by the mainspring.

The clock was a GPO (General Post Office) clock, until 1989 when is stopped working and was thrown out. My father acquired it and has given it to me. It looks like the only problem with it is that it's a bit dirty and needs a clean.

In this photo you can see the synchronous motor at the back of the clock movement and all the mechanical gearing - including the main spring. The grey metal case dimensions are 100mm x 70mm x 40mm, and the text on it reads: '220 Volt Wechselstrom' (Wechselstrom is German for alternating current). There is also the number 718 stamped on the case which may be a model number. I placed a penny in the photo to give an indication of size.

In this photo the mechanical balance wheel and escape wheel are visible.

220 Volt synchronous motor

If anyone has any information about this clock (or a similar one) I'd be very keen to hear from you.