They called on Chelsea Clock to manufacture their clocks for this ship that needed to evade German (and later Japanese) forces. You can own a modern-day version of this naval clock in the form of the Patriot Deck Clock.Īs World War II wore on, the Navy pioneered a bigger, faster and stronger ship - dubbed the “Victory” ship - to replace “Liberty” ships lost to German submarines. Chelsea Clock responded with a phenolic resin case that was lightweight yet durable enough that it wouldn’t break or shatter like conventional plastic. government demand.ĭue to the wartime shortage of metal, the Navy challenged Chelsea Clock to make a clock tough enough for battle without using its traditional brass case.

The company ramped up production in its factory and tripled its workforce just to keep up with U.S. entered World War II, the whole nation did its part to support the war effort. He appreciated the accuracy of our clocks so much that he wrote a letter of gratitude to Chelsea Clock in 1936. Byrd’s Antarctic journeys began in 1928, and he depended on Chelsea clocks to keep time. Some even made their way to the South Pole, accompanying Admiral Richard E.

Thanks to the Navy, Chelsea clocks traveled across the globe. Today, the wreckage is a popular scuba diving destination - and a Chelsea clock has been photographed among its contents. After the war, the ship was used to test atomic bombs, and it was eventually destroyed by one of the blasts. It was torpedoed several times and suffering severe damage from kamikaze attacks - but both it and the Chelsea clocks on board survived. Saratoga saw heavy action in the Pacific during World War II. However, it was converted into one of the Navy’s first aircraft carriers during construction to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. Saratoga. The Saratoga was originally designed as a battlecruiser. One of the more noteworthy ships on which a Chelsea clock sailed was the U.S.S. Let’s look at some of the times the Navy put Chelsea nautical clocks into action. For more than a century, the history of U.S. Chelsea clocks found homes on ships, destroyers, cruisers and even submarines. They had to be tough enough to withstand moisture, dropping, shaking and the rigors of life at sea. In turn, Chelsea Clock made sure its clocks were built to Navy standards. The Navy hoped to take advantage of Chelsea’s growing reputation for nautical excellence.

Navy ships, one that dates back to the early 1900s when the U.S. Navy.Ĭhelsea Clock has a long and storied history aboard U.S. That’s because the Chelsea story is inextricably bound with the history of our nation over the last century - especially that of the U.S. You’re getting a piece of American history.

When you choose a Chelsea timepiece, you’re getting more than a fine clock.

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