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).
Evaluation and potential adoption of new, higher-quality dashboard clocks.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\Q\July1927-September1927\ Scan064 | |
| Date | 19th August 1927 | |
| FROM R.{Sir Henry Royce} ORIGINAL DASHBOARD CLOCKS. X4662A On the 17th inst. Mr. North brought two clocks with him made to our requirements. One with a black face is suitable for our present output, and while we are using isolated instruments and black faces. This model could also have a cream face if we continued with the same isolated instruments and adopted cream faces. The other clock has mountings specially adapted for our grouped instruments. Both clocks appear to be satisfactory, and much more so than anything we have yet fitted to our cars (as far as my knowledge goes.) Naturally here again there may be some difficulty with the cost, but as the clocks now fitted cannot be considered satisfactory we ought to compare them with something else we can obtain which we should be proud to fit on our cars. The features of the Watford clock that will appeal to the user will be the convenient winder (approaching that of an ordinary keyless watch), the greater reliability, longer life, more exact timekeeping, and finally its superior appearance. The reliability, life, and timekeeping qualities, are largely enhanced by the six well fitted jewelled bearings to the escapement, the jewelled pallet, and the club tooted lever escapement. This part of the clock must be of superior quality also in that it may be self started after running down, which appeared to be the trouble with some of the clocks when fitted to the dashboard. The escapement is also stated to have an Invar spring and balance wheel, so that it will keep good time with the varying temperature of the dashboard. I have taken considerable trouble and interest in this matter, which has been forced on me through the unsatisfactory clocks I have found on our (and other) cars, and I think if the customer objects to paying the extra sovereign that these will probably cost us we might state that this has had the careful attention of our engineers in criticising and requisitioning the mechanism embodied in this clock. The situation at present appears to be that clocks are charged to the customer at about £5 for an article that is not worth half the money from a cost point of view, and I am sure it will pay us to give a better article even if we charge the extra cost to us of the better article to the customer. I should not look upon it that we ought to charge extra profit. If you look at it in this light you will see that we shall be giving a good article for a small increased cost to the customer, but with no increased profit or loss to ourselves. This would constitute a considerably safer trading position. In conclusion, it will be seen that all I want is (1) a sound and convenient winder, (2) a well designed and correctly jewel-led escapement & (3) a porcelain enamel dial. These ought to be obtainable in a dashboard clock considering they are available in medium priced watches. R.{Sir Henry Royce} | ||