Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
COOKING WATCHES,
HOW English Timepieces Are Tested
In the Kew observatory.

From the London Mail.
Kew observatory has lately been much
in the public mind consequent upon the
threatened arrangement OF its delicately
made instruments by the Installation OF
electric tramways at Hammersmith. some
miles distant.
The very position Of the observatory is
ample testimony to the sensitiveuess Of
the wonderful machines It contains Sit
uated about two miles from Richmond, the
solitary building stands like a beacon IA
the midst of a far-stretching sea Of
meadow land. But the observatory is more
than home magnetic mystery. They cook
watches therel
If you contemplate buying an expensive
watch you can have II sent to the observa-
tory, where for forty-five days IL will nm
dergo an ordeal that Will test it's capabili-
ties TO the utmost.
The branch of the observatory where
this interesting operation is carried on is
known as the rating department OF the
national physical laboratory. The OBJ
server, r. G. Constable, explained to a
representative of the Daily Mail who visit
ed the observatory that about five hun
dred watches are tested yearly. and that
10, 400 have passed through their hands
since the department was opened.
On this particular day forty watches
were under observation. An ambitious
watch in pursuit of a frst-class certificate
commences it's career at Kew 10y standing
upright for five days in an ordinary safe.
1t spends a similar period in three other
positions. and is then placed on its back in
a refrigerator. After five days OF that
icy abode II is removed to an oven kept at
a temperature of 30 degrees Fahrenheit,
and is at last restored to a normal tenn
perature. All this time the watchful eye
OF the observer has been upon it, and the
watch's behavior duly noted in books.
Every variation Of a second the watch
makes in the different positions and tenn
peratures is carefully entered, and certain
marks for or against are given il. What
this means will be the better appreciated
when it is explained that Kew possesses
instruments capable OF indicating the hun
dredth part of a second.
The highest marks awarded to a watch
are 100, and If Ii gains over 50 the words
especially good are written on its GER
tificate when the watch leaves the OBJ
servatory. Last year the lowest marks re-
ceived by a watch were II and the highest
SOL. The latter was English made.
Quite number of watches We're In the
oven stage. The oven is an ordinary safe.
heated with tubular boiler. and over it a
constant supply of hot water is kept. The
refrigerator is Of the ordinary kind.
All kinds of watches were there. There
was an explorers watch. so watertight
that it would keep on ticking merrily at
the bottom Of the sea. There was the
watch of an important official Of the Ma
tionai Cyclists Union, which splits sec
ondS to infinitesimal degrees, and comes TO
cepted as official unless the watch has
gained Kew certificate. Then there We're
watches destined to accompany an eXpe-
dition to the south pole and probably to
tick where watches never licked before.
There were cheap-looking silver watches,
really worth between fl5 and f20-appear-
ances are deceptive in watches-and there
was a wonderful gold watch that cost f3eo,
and does more things than there is space
to enumerate here.
But the most remarkable watch that has
ever been baked" and frozen" at Kew
cost close upon &c, 600. 1t was bought by a
sportsman with his winnings In one horse
race. The owners monogram on the outer
case was surrounded with twenty-four dia-
monds, and a picture of the horse appeared
on the other side I'm enamel, the artist hav-
ing spent a week in the stables to get an
accurate drawing.
The watch, however, proved to be useful
Well ornamental, and Kew was able
to send it's distinguished visitor home &C
companied by a certificate worthy of its
position in the watch world.