The 'E' Type Forum

Which clock should my car have?
Its an early series 2 2+2
There are 3 or 4 different ones to choose from but I would prefer to have the correct clock
Its confusing because there are so many series one parts that jaguar fitted to my car
I am guessing they were just using up old stock but I keep making mistakes on parts
Joe

Hi Joe...i thought there were only 2 types of clock on a S2 2+2...one with a battery and one direct wired....but iv never looked up in the parts catalogue.....you would need to check against your chassis number....if you have original wireing loom then if you have the clock supply it should be the one without battery i would think....Steve

Thx Steve
I've been looking into it and it seems the battery powered clocks were fitted to "Only cars made between January 1968 and October 1969" after which they were all 12 Volt powered
So mine was originally a battery one
From what I have found they are not the most reliable clocks and the battery is no longer available
Probably best if I can find an original clock and get it converted to quartz I guess
Joe

Joe

Don't believe everything you read. The S2 battery clock is very dependable and reliable - certainly I've got wristwatches that are less accurate! When fitted in its place there's an adjustment screw top right, and with a bit of trial and error you should soon get it accurate to within no worse than a couple of minutes of gain/loss each month.

The batteries are still freely - and cheaply - available: just search for LR50 batteries on eBay. They store seemingly indefinitely and last pretty much exactly a year when in use, so I usually have at least one spare tucked away and swap over (itself a two-minute job) as we emerge from winter, ready for the year ahead.

The battery must also provide the regulator with a restraining force, because rather contrary to what you might expect, the first sign that your battery is nearing the end of its useful life is that the clock starts to gain time.

I'd say stick with the battery clock. Its other advantage is that it runs independently of the car's own battery, so doesn't drain power if the car is parked up for a while, but perhaps more relevantly continues to keep running even if you use a battery isolator when parked up, or disconnect the car's battery when doing any work.

Simon

My '69 has a battery clock. Like Simon, I just buy LR50s and they last a year. I buy a few at a time as delivery charges are then the same.

Yes you have a point there
I would prefer the original clock
I need to find one now
Or at least one that works
Joe

I think it's the 'finding one that works' part that is near to impossible with the LR50 powered versions. I believe they have a tendency to self distruct internally, and certainly, my original was not repairable. I sourced a Smiths clock from a reliant Scimitar, which is the same 12v powered internals as the later E-type ones, and simply swapped the bezel, face and hands from my Jag one. That in itself was cheap to buy, and now is identical in appearance to my 1968 original. I guess I could always fit a small 12v battery if I want independent power from the rest of the car, since the main battery will usually be isolated when I'm not using the car.

I agree which is why there's a thriving market to convert a LR50 battery driven clock to one with a quartz mechanism behind the original face.

I believe the change from LR50 driven clock to +12 volt driven clock was around October 1969.

I had the original clock in my '70 2+2 converted to double-a battery power. I'm going on a year and a half with the same battery. I use a battery disconnect when the car is not in use. Since that conversion, I don't concern myself about resetting the clock, AND, most importantly, it keeps great time.
Mike Eck did the conversion. 100 bucks.

I believe the change from LR50 driven clock to +12 volt driven clock was around October 1969.

That would make sense as mine is a Nov 69 car and it has the external power. One day I'll work out how to adjust it properly!

John

johnetype wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 08, 2021 6:04 pm

I agree which is why there's a thriving market to convert a LR50 battery driven clock to one with a quartz mechanism behind the original face.

I believe the change from LR50 driven clock to +12 volt driven clock was around October 1969.

From Porter's "Original Jaguar E-Type": Oct 1969 battery-operated clock in place of earlier mercury-cell item.
From: OTS 1R.1351/1R.10537
FHC 1R.24425/1R.26835
2+2 1R.35564/1R.42677

I have that 'mercury-cell' or LR50 type clock, it's completely kaput, someone before had a Frankenstein-style attempt at soldering it internally but to no avail. It's left set to 10:10, happy time.

Cheers
Alun