Found this clock at an opshop in Brisbane, Queensland

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jonnikko

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Aug 10, 2026
I Found this clock at an opshop in Brisbane, Queensland about 8 years ago. It seems to have a broken spring but will tick for a little while. 'Bendix Aviation corporation' on back. Any information would be appreciated.
 

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Hello,

It's a Pioneer aircraft 8-Day cockpit clock IMHO. Because it was made in the USA I would say it could be from one of the USA made kites used by the RAAF. However if it was used at the British plane there should be the Air Ministry ( A.M.) Ref number somewhere. Unfortunately the pic with the data plate isn't readable. So please, either take a better one or just write down the numbers from there and post here. Also please have a close up look at the dial. I can see the s/n. number only but there were other data pressed often.

I guess the number on the data plate starts with 3310-2A-A. If I'm correct it means that the clock could be used with the British or commercial planes. In the case there should be also the British AM Ref. number 106A/20.
 
Oddly, there is absolutely NO evident impressions on the faceplate. I don't currently have the #s on the backside(i have to get a sharp light at a certain angle to read them). About 7 years ago, Another site It was suggested it may be from an early AUS fighter program that was abandoned
 
The kind of cockpit clock was very popular during the war and later. These could be found on both British or American planes. As a result it is not possible to assiociate it with any particular plane but just with an aircraft type in a general way only.
 
Why would it have absolutely NO info on the face plate? It seems it may have possibly been a rushed job.
 
No it wasn't a rush job. During the war the large number of assembled planes required a lot of the cockpit stuff. For the reason many major manufactures had to engage subcontractors and their workshops to get the orders finished on the time. And that's the reason for the lack of the info on the dial. Instead of this, the data could be found inside of the device ( in the case on the mechanism of the clock ) stamped/engraved or painted. To sum up .. nothing strange. Secondly, IMHO it is the Lend-Lease export version for the British Commonwealth aviation ( eg. the RAF RAAF, RCAF ) so there may not be any data on the dial.

Here the number for your clock based on your pic. If it is correct the number of the clock is like I state din my post #2.

data.jpg


and here is the another 3310-2A-A cockpit clock signed by the Pioneer Bendix. As you may notice the dial looks a little bit different and has the manufacturer's name applied only . But it is still the Pioneer one.

3310-2A-A.jpg

the pic source: the net.
 
Following all the data we might found in the two pics I would say it is an Elgin Pioneer 8-day clock made by the Bendix Aviation Corporation (Pioneer Instrument Division). IMHO it is the Lend-Lease stuff. For the reason the Air Ministry Ref. No. 106A/20 should be as it was ordered by the RAF in the USA. The serial painted manually on the dial suggests the clock was sent to a repair workshop. However the serial should be also engraved inside of the clock. The scratched number 724 may suggests the clock was repaired or overhauled in 1944. What is more it seems to be of the series what may indicate 1940/41 or 1942/43 time period. It could be mounted in the CAC CA-1 / CA-3 / CA-9 Wirraway, CAC CA-12 / CA-13 / CA-19 Boomerang and many, many others. Because of the Elgin Pioneer 3310-2A-A / Air Ministry 106A/20) numbers it seems that the clock may be the A-7 type. Perhaps MiTasol MiTasol could add someting more.

106_20.jpg
 
No it wasn't a rush job. During the war the large number of assembled planes required a lot of the cockpit stuff. For the reason many major manufactures had to engage subcontractors and their workshops to get the orders finished on the time. And that's the reason for the lack of the info on the dial. Instead of this, the data could be found inside of the device ( in the case on the mechanism of the clock ) stamped/engraved or painted. To sum up .. nothing strange. Secondly, IMHO it is the Lend-Lease export version for the British Commonwealth aviation ( eg. the RAF RAAF, RCAF ) so there may not be any data on the dial.

Here the number for your clock based on your pic. If it is correct the number of the clock is like I state din my post #2.

View attachment 890260

and here is the another 3310-2A-A cockpit clock signed by the Pioneer Bendix. As you may notice the dial looks a little bit different and has the manufacturer's name applied only . But it is still the Pioneer one.

View attachment 890274
the pic source: the net.
Great! That rear picture has lots of the trade names, Pioneer, Bendix and Eclipse!
Interestingly, a lot of the late 1930's German parts have the Americn trade names, like Eclipse on inertia starters and I think Wanderer on some late 1930's Bosch magneto's.

Eng
 
I Found this clock at an opshop in Brisbane, Queensland about 8 years ago. It seems to have a broken spring but will tick for a little while. 'Bendix Aviation corporation' on back. Any information would be appreciated.
I know of a similar clock on the dash of the HP-52 Hampden. One clock survived and came to Australia as a souvenir. When the A/C was on a re-positioning flight from Shetland to Vaenga - Russia. With fuel exhausted, the pilot had to put the A/C down on rough ground. They started to mill around the wreck when a sniper started with occasional shots warning them to sit still. This they did. The clock is now in Melb Australia now.
Geoff R
 

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