This is my small contribution in return of what I have learned in this forum, sorry initial incovenience with pics and language, hope it is already solved.
There is a lot of written documentation or reports about coveted Russian pilots wrist watches known by Sturmanskies and also about of the ACS-1/AChS-1 desk cockpit d clock , even used in Rockets and space flights. However, there is little information about the clocks installed in cameras of the aircrafts, these watches are called gun camera clocks.
In this thread we are going to collect information about them and doing a little research.
The aircrafts have cameras , and in the cameras there was installed a clock , it’s image was recorded on the film by a system of mirrors and prisms , the same system used by submarine periscopes
It was important once the film was projected to know the right time, so calculations about speed, distance or skills of the pilot could be made, the use of cameras gun were mainly for pilot training purposes.
If you have a close look at these watches, belong to my collection , you will see they are like a bull’s eye also film motives such as similar to a count down on the sphere, in conclusion they are very easily readable and the dials were in white and black colors.
The system of the film footage was electrical and started recording at the same than the trigger of the gun was pushed , so it was a good tool for pilot training (double check when landed of fails and the success, ) sadly also it was a proof of the kills that the pilot has been done.
Once the pilot landed there was another team in charge of extracting the film and analyze it , all under strict military discipline. So the cameras and so the installed clocks had a particular engraving serial number, in order to b
e easier to folder the file and making stadistics.
As we will see later these watches could be extracted of the camera and set up the correct time as well winding them manually before the flight.
There is not any further intention of military apology, nor politics, the main intention of this article is being focused on watches and their surrounded history.
Generally speaking the guns camera were installed at first, in the IWW
Internet pic
Although there were Russian Camera 1910 on board for aerial recording purposes
Internet pic
As we can see above in this photo the fixed gun camera gun was installed in planes for the first time in the first world war ( not necessary a Russian Plane)
As far as we know in Russia gun cameras were installed at first in the airplane Polikàrpov I-16 in 1937, and of course in the aircrafts that took place in the IIWW, furthermore the different Migs models, such as the ones which participated in the Korea War
Here below there is a link with the different types of cameras used by Russia between 1917 and 1991
PHOTOHISTORY –
PHOTOHISTORY – ?.???????, “????? ???????? ?????????????? ????????????????????”
, in this link there is the specific part with respect at aerial cameras , but if you want, you can surf about the general military history of Russian cameras.
Polikarpov I-16 with a gun camera .
In Mig aircrafts the camera was integrated. as you can see in this Mig 15 below.
Internet pic
Internet pic
Mig 17 captured by a gun camera from another plane.
The following photos have been extracted from the following links:
the shot of a North American plane in Armenia.
Internet pic
Have a look at the printed image of the clock in the upper left corner
60th Anniversary of Shoot-Down of USAF Aircraft over Armenia – The Armenian Mirror-Spectator
By Larry Tart Special to the Mirror-Spectator SASNASHEN, Armenia – Few Armenian Americans are aware that 17 United States Air Force airmen perished in a crash in Armenia on September […]
mirrorspectator.com
History’s ace pilot Yevgeny Pepelyayev during the Korea War
Aircraft Mig while planning recorded from another gun camera, five minutes to ten on the clock.
Yevgeny Pepelyayev – top Russian ace in Korea.
Here below you can see a sad footage film of the Stalingrad battle, do not be scared, it is a recreation of a video game.
Come on, don’t be sad, and let’s move to the main target of this article, the description of the clocks.
I still think the main source is the recovered page of Mark Gordon
A Site Dedicated to Soviet-era R
Internet pic
Camera on board of Tupelov TU-16 and TU-95 and helicopter Mil Mi-14. -Images for ID:
And the watch from my collection that was used, notice the easily readable of the sphere and the drawing which reminds to a bull’s eye.
written serial number on the sphere
folden wing to extract the watch
always Vostok movement
Camara C-13 used for Mig 16 or 17 Images for ID:
Internet pic
Internet pic
Internet pic
On the left we can see the screwed clock .
Internet pic
Drawing of installation of the gun camera C-13.
And my correlative watch
.Rear sight with the serial number written at the external back cover receipt
Front sight with the watch host inside and the screwed cover of the crown
Unscrewed cover and the inner small crown.
the watch outside the external container.
This movement from 4-53 it is the same than the well known type 1, as a rule they were made by Zlatoust factory, although in my collection there is also a no working gun camera clock from Chistopol Factory with date I-48
External case of clock with the stamped date
Type 1 movement made in Chistopol
Mark Gordon reference Images for ID:Images for ID:
Internet pic
Cámara used by Tupelov TU-16 y TU-95
And my watches associated to that type of cameras.
Clairy sight of the sphere, individual written numeral.
Back cover with a pliable folding handle to remove it from its place.
The movements always were from the First Moscow Watch Factory.
Once arrived at this point, the expert collector will notice that there is a few documentation about wrist gun camera watches , Here starts the small research of this article.
There were also a few wrist watches which do not appear on catalogues, they were for military purposes with the help of a external case they were adapted to the cameras.
Internet pic
Internet pic
It has a kind of arms which fold and trap over the watch lugs. (Internet pic)
Internet pic
See the numeration at the back of the external case.
Here we have a couple of watches with the same features belonging to my collection, the one on the right is earlier, as you can see its case is like the Komandirskies, these watches do not appear on catalogues and they were for military use, as we have already said they are clearly readable and with some air of films aesthetics, over the dial there is a lacquer or varnish which is easily damaged, below you can see the mess I have done with my fingertips on a spare unit
These watches have hacker system with a Vostok 2234 movement. the watch stops when the crown is pulled it out, I believe it is very important circumstance, because this way is possible to set the right time with respect of another watch or watches, you must thing than his image was impressed on the film , so it is ideally for setting up calculations of distances or speed
Vostok 2234 with hacker system.
This watch from my collection with a white dial, black marks and blue hands, it must be installed in an external case, as we can see before, it is a quite rare unit and similar to this one has been a discussion issue on international forums
Blue hands over a bone color sphere.
The back cover has a serial number, we have explained how important was to identify the clock, camera and plane for file matters.
I tend to believe the Zim movement do not correspond
Here below, Internet pictures of a similar ones
Internet pic
Internet pic
And constructive discussions among fórums.
And again the family of gun camera clocks, this time with a sniper gun camera, for peaceful purposes.
The post has been edited because four more watches have been added.
The fisrt one is a buttom photogun from the Zim factory, the dial is sighlty different to the other ones.
a pic of the Zim movement below.
The second to arrive has been a Vostok wrist watch, with a central second hands
and the movement:
the third a wrist wach camera gun, it’s not in the best condition, but what is important is it proofs the theory of numeral serial inscription in the back cover.
An finally the fourth one, which has arrived the later.
front sight.
Rear side with serial number of the watch and the camera.
Lateral view, with the screwed glass.
here below, the four white photogun clocks.
Thanks for Reading and thanks to my friends who have helped me