Time Flies: A 1944 Air Ministry Aircraft Clock

At just 5.5cm across, this little clock is a reminder that some of the most interesting pieces of wartime history can be remarkably small.

Aircraft clocks of this type were fitted to many British aircraft during the Second World War, including the famous Spitfire and Hurricane. There was no single standard clock used across every fighter. Making components interchangeable and allowing different versions to be used helped keep wartime production moving.

This example has three fixing points which allowed it to be mounted directly into an aircraft’s instrument panel. Its black face carries the usual hour, minute and second hands, but also features a distinctive pair of red hands.

These are known as “dummy hands”. They could be set separately – commonly to record the start time of a flight – giving the pilot or navigator a useful visual reference while airborne.

Turn the clock over and much more of its story is revealed. The reverse carries the Air Ministry ‘AM’ marking, a clock speed regulator and the serial number 12766/44. Those final two digits give us the year: 1944.

For collectors, however, condition is not simply a question of whether the clock still works. Examples such as this are generally worth less than £100 whether working or not, and originality can be far more important. A clock that has been opened, altered or heavily repaired can lose much of its appeal and value.

Add documented provenance linking one to a particular aircraft or individual, though, and a seemingly modest instrument can become something much more significant.

It is exactly the sort of object that makes collecting militaria so fascinating: small enough to hold in your hand, but once part of the working cockpit of a wartime aircraft.