The Breitling Watch Source Forums

What it lacks in bling, it makes up for in size. Kind of an over grown watch, the Elgin (or Hamilton) 37500 was used in US Navy aircraft from WWII up through the 1990's.

Mine is original WWII vintage, unrestored, serviced locally, still works fine.

The 37500 is one of the most complicated clocks produced for use in aircraft. It has functions for displaying 24 hour time, running seconds, length of trip (12 hour), 60 minute center seconds chronograph and Civil Date. It has a large 2 3/4 inch dial opening. Its production was also complicated with the contract split between Hamilton and Elgin watch companies. Elgin made the plates, screws and escapement, Hamilton made the other parts. The parts were then transhipped and each company assembled finished clocks. They were paid for both parts produced and clocks assembled; poor contract officer!

The 37500 was a replacement for the Jaeger A-10 ordered before the US entered WWII. The Jaeger product also provides Civil Date and a Time of Trip function and was used in pre-war USAAC and USN aircraft. But with the entry of the US into the war, military timepieces from Switzerland were no longer available. All US watch companies were required to turn their production to the needs of the US military and this clock was a high priority. As far as I know, the production of nearly 28,000 clocks went to the USN Beu. of Aeronautics and was used in TBF, TBY, PBY and a number of carrier based aircraft. It was kept in service well into 1990s as evidenced by various depot tags that may be affixed to a clock case. These were even issued to Orion P-3s!

Regards,
Mike

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Breitling Navitimer: Black Dial
OMEGA Speedmaster Professional
Steinhart Nav.B-Chrono II
Elgin-Hamilton 37500 (Aircraft Clock)

Very cool. Thank you for posting!

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Steelfish GMT LE (white)

holly smokes that is the biggest watch i have ever seen. i cant help but be reminded of thread that was on here a month or so ago regarding wearing watches to bed. And i think someone was saying they never wear their watch to sleep for fear that they might accidently hit their wife and KTFO them. If you owned a piece like this and wore it to bed one wrong move in bed and its lights out for the MRS...ahahahahahahahahahaha

Its hard to imagine being able to move freely enough to fly a plane with it on your wrist. It'd catch on everything!

You guys do realise that it's not a watch right????

Some of these comments are making me wonder.

Aircraft clocks are amazing bargains, there was a Breitling that sold on eBay a couple of weeks ago for under $1,000 and they are still hugely practical timepieces - especially for a desk or something mounted in a wooden case. The fact that many have 8 day movements also means that they only need attention once a week - that piece looks to be in great condition - congratulations!

Had me fooled, thought it was a fugley oversized watch. What the heck is it doing on his wrist then??

yeah me too.

May have been toungue-in-cheek but my guess is he was just tryin to give a sense of perspective.

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“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” - Albert Einstein