From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Letter from Waltham Watch Company discussing the fitment and reading direction of their speedometer for Rolls-Royce cars.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 36\1\ scan 074 | |
| Date | 10th November 1920 | |
| x2915 WALTHAM WATCH COMPANY, LTD. MOTOR ACCESSORY DEPARTMENT 125 HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON, W.C.I. DIRECTORS. A.{Mr Adams} S. HILLYER, AMERICAN. CONOVER FITCH, .. W. L. BROWN, .. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} W. BOX, BRITISH. A.{Mr Adams} L. GOODLEY, .. SALES AGENTS FOR WALTHAM WATCH COMPANY WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A. CABLE ADDRESS 'ROBBINS' LONDON TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS: 'ROBBINS, WESTCENT, LONDON.' CODES USED WALTHAM, LIEBER, WESTERN UNION, A.B.C. 4th & 5th EDITION TELEPHONE: MUSEUM 4847. Messrs. Rolls-Royce Ltd., Nightingale Road, DERBY. For attention - Mr. Hives. Your ref:- Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}1/LG 10th November 1920 Gentlemen:- We beg to thank you for your letter of the 9th instant to the above reference, and are glad to note that you have found our Speedometer very reliable on testing same. Taking your criticisms in order, we beg to state as follows:- 1. We are not quite clear about our Speedometer being the wrong hand for the Rolls-Royce cars, as we have fitted a greater proportion of Speedometers to Rolls-Royce cars, than any other make of car, and our clients are delighted with them. This controverts the original impression of your letter, that the direction of the shaft was wrong, as we simply fit our pulley on the same side of the propellor shaft as you do other makes of Speedometer. We can only imagine that you mean that the calibrations of our cup should read from right to left, instead of left to right, if so, and we change this running, you would have to fit the Speedometer on the opposite side of the propellor shaft. Will you kindly inform us if we have grasped your meaning. 2. We were already aware that you prefer the moving hand in preference to the cup reading. We do not make a standard of the hand and dial reading, although we could do so if it were specially wished and a sufficient quantity were ordered, but we should not guarantee it being so accurate as our present method, although it would be more than other makes, in operation. To go technically into the reason, we would state, that our cup is supported on jewelled bearings, each consisting of a pair of jewels [STAMP 1] RECEIVED 10th November 1920 [STAMP 2] Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} NOV 11 1920 REC [HANDWRITTEN NOTE] Leaflet in hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}-drawer. | ||