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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Marine deck clock

Chelsea Clock Co. U.S. Navy Deck Clock

Partially verified

This antique painted brass deck clock was manufactured by Chelsea Clock Co. in Boston. The auction house reports it originated from a U.S. Navy World War II ship engine room. The mechanical wind-up clock measures 7.75 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches in depth. Its dial displays bold black Arabic numerals, an outer calibrated minute and seconds track, spade hour and minute hands, and a long sweep seconds hand with a crescent counterbalance. A slotted index aperture for regulation and a stop/start selector appear near the two o'clock position. The dial is marked 'CHELSEA CLOCK CO. BOSTON' and 'U. S. NAVY', with impressed serial number 377873 reported on the reverse.

Front view of the Chelsea Clock Co. U.S. Navy deck clock dial and bezel
Front view of the Chelsea Clock Co. U.S. Navy deck clock dial and bezel — The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc.. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.invaluable.com
Category
Clock · Marine deck clock
Maker / attribution
Chelsea Clock Co.
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
53
Source-reported date
ca. WWII
Country
United States
Source-reported serial
377873

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Identity and Provenance

The item is described as an antique painted brass Patriot Deck Clock produced by the Chelsea Clock Co. of Boston. The auction listing claims the clock originated from a U.S. Navy ship engine room during World War II, though this is reported by the auction house and not independently verified.

The dial bears the inscriptions 'CHELSEA CLOCK CO. BOSTON' and 'U. S. NAVY'. An impressed serial number, 377873, is reported to be present on the reverse of the clock.

Evidence for this section
  • “Authentic antique painted brass Patriot Deck Clock by Chelsea Clock co. Boston.”
  • “Originated from a US Navy Ship WWII engine room deck clock.”
  • “Numbers impressed on backside are 377873”

Construction and Physical Condition

The clock is a circular device measuring 7.75 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches in depth. It features a dark painted brass casing and bezel, which exhibit visible paint loss and rim wear.

The clock is sold as an 'as is' item. The auction documentation states that the wind-up mechanism is present, but the required winding key is not included.

Evidence for this section
  • “Dark painted brass round casing and bezel with noticeable rim wear and paint loss”
  • “3.5 in wide, 7.75 in. Diameter.”
  • “Wind up, no key.”

Dial and Mechanism Features

The clock features a cream-colored dial with black Arabic numerals. The timekeeping mechanism includes a central sweep seconds hand with a crescent moon-shaped counterbalance. The winding arbor is located above the 6 o'clock position.

A stop/start aperture is located on the outer dial rim between the 1 and 2 o'clock positions. An adjacent window provides slow/fast (F/S) regulation for the movement.

Evidence for this section
  • “Central sweep seconds hand with crescent moon counterbalance”
  • “Stop/start aperture marked 'STOP' and 'START' on the outer dial rim between 1 and 2 o'clock, with an adjacent 'F/S' slow-fast regulation window”
  • “Winding arbor located above the 6 o'clock position”

Open research questions

  • Do production logs for Chelsea Clock Co. correlate serial number 377873 with a specific manufacturing timeframe?
  • Are there official military specifications for U.S. Navy engine room clocks that confirm the presence of specific 'stop/start' functionality?
  • Can the 'Patriot Deck Clock' model be verified as a standard U.S. Navy issue, or is this a retail-oriented description?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Chelsea Clock Co. U.S. Navy Deck Clock
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerChelsea Clock Co.“Chelsea Clock co. Boston”
OriginUS Navy Ship WWII engine room deck clock“Originated from a US Navy Ship WWII engine room deck clock.”
MaterialPainted brass“painted brass Patriot Deck Clock”
Diameter7.75 in.“7.75 in. Diameter”
Depth3.5 in.“3.5 in wide”
Serial Number377873“Numbers impressed on backside are 377873”
Dimensions7.75 in. diameter, 3.5 in. deep“3.5 in wide, 7.75 in. Diameter.”

Visible details

  • Dark painted brass round casing and bezel with noticeable rim wear and paint loss
  • Cream-colored dial with black Arabic numerals, marked 'CHELSEA CLOCK CO. BOSTON' and 'U. S. NAVY'
  • Winding arbor located above the 6 o'clock position
  • Central sweep seconds hand with crescent moon counterbalance
  • Stop/start aperture marked 'STOP' and 'START' on the outer dial rim between 1 and 2 o'clock, with an adjacent 'F/S' slow-fast regulation window

Research qualifications

  • Backside and internal movement are not visible in the supplied photograph; the serial number 377873 and engine room provenance are source-reported
  • Auction description notes wind-up mechanism is present but key is missing

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Sold at Auction: Antique Brass Chelsea Navy Ship Clock, Boston

Reviewed 2026-10-22 · Record fe20775c5f

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.