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[C.W. Herndon]

I have been trying to determine what type of Omega "start stop clocks" listed in the Luke Field Inventory that Fred may have had in the aircraft. See last page of the inventory below. On line number 117, it lists "4, clocks, start and stop 'Omega' ". 

http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Luke_Field.html

There are 3 "clocks" visable on the navigator's table shown in this picture, blown up below.

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/u?/earhart,269

Since there are only 3 of the "clocks" visable on the table, does anyone have any idea where the other one may have been? Spare maybe?

Also, I have spent hours on the internet trying to identify the "clocks". I have looked at the official Omega site and all of the other sites I could find that either collected or sold Omega products. I have not found even one example of an Omega product of that size that has either a black dial or the unusual arrangement of the knobs seen in the picture.

Any ideas here?

[John Ousterhout]

"Stop Clock" is another name for what we now call a "stop watch".  One may likely be with his Octant.  They're used to mark the exact instant a sight is taken.   I would assume Fred had 4 of them to allow taking 4 sightings quickly, then taking them back to his work table to record the readings and make his calculations.
My 1940's octant has a clip to hold a stopwatch in a convenient position that allows the start/stop button to be pressed without taking your eye away from the eyepiece. I've seen similar clips on sextants.

[pilotart]

Air Navigation by Weems quotes a letter from Fred:

Timepieces carried were a Longines Civil Time chronometer, and a Longines second-setting watch.  The latter was set to correct G.C.T. at all times by checking with the chronometer.  This watch was of the arm type, but the strap was removed, and the watch clips on the octant were adjusted to accommodate the beckets on each side of the watch.  I prefer such arrangement to carrying the watch on the arm.

Granted, he is describing Pan Am Clipper, but he says that

...the choice of equipment may be governed entirely by the individuals personal preference or the Company's desires in the matter.  ...most of the instruments had been used extensively by the writer and had proven satisfactory

The Luke Field list may pertain to Harry Manning's timepieces and Fred may have not left his on-board following that ground loop.

[C.W. Herndon]

"Stop Clock" is another name for what we now call a "stop watch".  One may likely be with his Octant.  They're used to mark the exact instant a sight is taken.   I would assume Fred had 4 of them to allow taking 4 sightings quickly, then taking them back to his work table to record the readings and make his calculations.
My 1940's octant has a clip to hold a stopwatch in a convenient position that allows the start/stop button to be pressed without taking your eye away from the eyepiece. I've seen similar clips on sextants.

Thanks John. I am not a navigator so every little bit helps.

[C.W. Herndon]

Air Navigation by Weems quotes a letter from Fred:

Timepieces carried were a Longines Civil Time chronometer, and a Longines second-setting watch.  The latter was set to correct G.C.T. at all times by checking with the chronometer.  This watch was of the arm type, but the strap was removed, and the watch clips on the octant were adjusted to accommodate the beckets on each side of the watch.  I prefer such arrangement to carrying the watch on the arm.

Granted, he is describing Pan Am Clipper, but he says that

...the choice of equipment may be governed entirely by the individuals personal preference or the Company's desires in the matter.  ...most of the instruments had been used extensively by the writer and had proven satisfactory

The Luke Field list may pertain to Harry Manning's timepieces and Fred may have not left his on-board following that ground loop.

Thanks Art. Since I have had no luck with the Omega clocks/watches I will start on the Longines line and see where that leads.

[C.W. Herndon]

I have continued to search for the clocks/watches that FN might have used while performing his duties as navigator on the "second attempt".
I have found two photos, while not the best, of his wrist-watch that seem to show one that does not have a "start/stop function". (References here pictures below.) Can anyone see something that I don't or know of any other pictures that might have a good view of his watch? It is my understanding that this type of function is critical in the ability to take accurate celestial readings.

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/u?/earhart,282
http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/u?/earhart,901

[Michael Calvin Powell]

Could the "Longines Civil Time Chronometer" have been a pocket watch?  There was a version (at least as of 1939) that was expressly made for aviation navigation:

http://stricklandvintagewatches.com/products-page/pocket-watches/1939-mens-longines-pocket-watch/

[C.W. Herndon]

Thanks Michael, It looks like another close but no cigar. You did give me a new web site to follow. I hadn't found this one before. 

Thanks again.

[John Ousterhout]

I'm no expert, but I've not heard of any commonly available (read: "inexpensive enough for Fred to afford") 1930's-era navigation chronometers that were intended to be worn on a wrist or carried in a pocket, and there's a good reason not to.  The only ones I'm vaguely familiar with would live in a padded box secured to the navigation table, to protect them from vibration, bumps, and temperature changes. 
As I understand it, to take a sighting you clip a portable stop-watch to the sextant/octant, set to match the second hand on the chronometer, and click the stop at the moment you take your sight. Then you go back to the nav. table and add the stop watch reading to the chronometer reading to get the time of the sight.  If you've got more than one stop watch, you can take more than one sighting before going back to your nav. table and working out the position.
The stop watches don't need to be as precise as the chronometer - they only need to accurately count the seconds for a minute or two.  They aren't expected to keep precise time for hours and days - that's the job of the chronometer(s).
Hopefully Gary can clarify any mistakes I've made.

[Michael Calvin Powell]

I have no idea what their source is but note this statement "The 48-mm stainless steel Longines Hour Angle Watch—which could be used to calculate longitude when used with navigational instruments—went on sale in 1932. ... The 1930s saw other advances in pilot's watches and aviation timekeeping as well, thanks to active use by aviation pioneers like Amelia Earhart—who wore a Longines, possibly the Hour Angle watch—and by professional pilots."

http://www.jckonline.com/article/288755-Flying_Time.php

[Michael Calvin Powell]

This site includes pictures of what they say are Amelia's watch, though I don't see anything of Noonan"s:

http://www.pocketwatchrepair.com/histories/earhart-watch.html

[C.W. Herndon]

Thanks for the new information Michael.

I have managed to blow up (zoom in on) some of the Purdue photos of AE's and FN's watches. The one of FN is not really too good but does show some basic things about his watch. See picture 1 below and this link.

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/u?/earhart,282

The closest thing I have found to what I see in Fred's watch is shown in picture 2. This is now, and probably was then, an expensive brand so it may not have been the kind FN had.

AE's watch is a little more difficult. All of the pictures taken of her during the second attempt, at least those in the Purdue collection, show her wearing the face of the watch on the inside of her arm. See picture 3.

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/u?/earhart,526

I was able to find a picture that appears to have been taken well before the second attempt. It seems to show the same watch, but I have not been able to find another watch that looks anything like what I see in picture 4.

http://earchives.lib.purdue.edu/u?/earhart,348

Any help will be much appreciated Michael.

[C.W. Herndon]

"Stop Clock" is another name for what we now call a "stop watch".  One may likely be with his Octant.  They're used to mark the exact instant a sight is taken.   I would assume Fred had 4 of them to allow taking 4 sightings quickly, then taking them back to his work table to record the readings and make his calculations.
My 1940's octant has a clip to hold a stopwatch in a convenient position that allows the start/stop button to be pressed without taking your eye away from the eyepiece. I've seen similar clips on sextants.

John, think that there is a difference between a stopwatch and a stopclock. USAAC 1st Lt. D.M. Tites, who performed the Luke Field inventory, was very detailed in his description of almost all of the items on the list. When he listed the clocks that were on the inventory, he called them "Clocks, Start & Stop 'Omega' ".

I have included pictures below of what I see as each type. The first picture shows what I would call a stopclock. It has a clock dial, which shows the time, plus it has a built in stopwatch to record the "time" of some event. This one was a special issue for the 1932 World Fair.

Picture 2 is a typical "stopwatch" which allows you to record the "time" of some event but does not show you the time.

I could be wrong but this is my interpretation of the terms.

[John Ousterhout]

Thanks Woody, you may be right.  I've not found any actual references that define "start & stop clocks".  The photo showing the 3 time pieces on the nav. table doesn't show their faces well enough to tell if they display time of day, or elapsed time, although they do clearly show the stop/start levers.

[C.W. Herndon]

John, I don't know if I'm right or not. I've not found any definition either. I did find this picture of a WW2 navigator's watch. Makes me wonder if the 4th clock/watch might have been in some kind of protective container somewhere.