British Navy Lemania Stopwatch used for torpedos/sonar 1969
Nero Lemania Royal Navy Submarine Stop Watch 1969. Royal Navy Nero Lemania Submarine Stopwatch. Excellent and Fully Working Condition. Reverse Reads: 0552/520-9365 “Arrow Mark” 088/69 – Max /Run = 1Hour . The 69 denotes the year of issue “1969”
This is a rare steel Navy Swiss stop watch calibrated in yards, made for use with sonar sets by the Ministry of Defence for timing the return of sonar ‘pings’ and torpedo runs.
THE DIAL: 100% mint, the original white dial with fine red Arabic numerals and in bright condition with no hairlines or chips to dial. Dial with blued steel spade hand. Diameter is 2″ inches 50.8 mm and signed Nero Lemania.
These dials were designed for the Royal Navy; underwater sound travels at approx 1450 to 1500 m/s or (1586 to 1640 yards/s).. thus a ping reflecting from a target at 1600 yards would return in approx 2 seconds.
Likely used by by asdic/sonar operators (on destroyers to find subs and on subs to find prey, and evade destroyers). It was also used to calculate the distance travelled by a torpedo and hence whether it should have reached the target or had missed.
The white enamel dial has black Arabic numerals and black graduations denoting the distance in yards 0 to 5000. The numerals and graduations denoting 1 to 6 seconds are marked in red.
There is a blue steel centre sweep 6 seconds hand, a broad arrow below the centre of the dial and the trade name: “Nero Lemania” is marked at the top of the dial.
The bottom of the dial is marked: “Swiss” made. The steel open faced case is in a very good condition, with only minor scratches to the back case.(See Photo’s).
The back is marked with: “0552/520-9365, a broad arrow (Pheon), 1009/71, Max/Run = 1 Hour”. (0552 is the MOD code or Service Reference Number for the Royal Navy, 520-9365 is the NATO stock number for a stop watch marked for 6 seconds, secs/yards, 088 is the watch’s serial number.
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