19-Set Pocket Watch Holder Comment
I have now obtained a pair of military pocket watches for my two 19-Sets and thought I would pass along an observation regarding the pocket watch holders on the Mk II and Mk III 19-Sets.
The pocket watch (with a stem ring as Bruce noted) fits the holder on the Mk III Power Supply Unit beautifully! It is a rather exposed position on the Supply Unit and the bakelite holder would be quite prone to damage if the grill guard was not in place on the set.
I found the location of the bakelite holder on the Mk II 19-Set to be a bit of a challenge, however. It is clearly a much better protected location, being set back more than on the Mk III even if the grill guards were not in place, but care must be taken with the two spring clips for the 6-point and 12-point connectors above and below the bakelite holder. If these two spring clips are not adjusted to be as close to their respective connector rings as possible, the clips will interfere with both the holder and the pocket watch.
The upper arm of the 12-point connector spring clip can rub against the bottom of the bakelite bezel ring with enough force to actually distort the bezel ring when you are trying to screw it onto the watch holder. This could cause either the bezel or the holder to break.
The bottom arm of the 6-point connector spring clip can rub against the top of the winding ball on the actual pocket watch stem, not allowing the pocket watch to be properly seated in the holder. If you force the issue, it could result once again in either, or both of, the holder or holder bezel ring being broken. Also, room is limited underneath the 6-point connector and the best fit for the ring on the pocket watch stem seems to be for it to be pointing towards the radio operator.
Considering how hard it is to find an intact pocket watch holder these days, for those of you fortunate enough to have one on your Mk II 19-Set, or those of you considering to add one to your Mk II, make sure to check and adjust the clearances on the two spring clips.
Regards,
David
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