How accurate is your clock?

[roberhofer]

if you disconnect it it will at least show good time twice a day.

Ha! That's what I did. It was a battery drain and disconnecting it helped a lot to ensure that it starts straight up.

[GM]

While driving my clock is spot on.
About 24 hours later, it's about 20 minutes slow.
Normal? Perhaps a drain of the power to the clock somewhere?

[lreppond]

Here’s my thinking:

I have a nice collection of wristwatches: Audemars-Piguet, Blancpain, Patek, Lange and Rolex. All are either mechanical or automatic movements except the Oysterquartz.  Although they all keep great time, none, including the Oysterquartz, are as accurate as my cell phone.  It’s what I always use for the most accurate time. 

I like Pagodas because they’re old school.  I like their mechanical fuel injectors, funky wipers, foot switch for high beams, crank windows and seat adjustments, etc etc.  For me, whether the clock is accurate or not is irrelevant.  I just love the fact that it ticks and it’s original to the car. 

We own these cars because we enjoy them.  If having consistently accurate time in your car is important to you, switch over to quartz but if you enjoy the peculiarities of a 50+ yo car, stick with analogue and realize it’s never going to be perfect. 

[Alex D]

Years ago I was told that if your car is being judged in a MB concourse event and their is a tie between two cars point wise, one of the tie breakers the judges use is the clock, the more accurate clock time gets the extra 1/2 point and thus gets the award. 

[ted280sl]

The Quartz conversion was previously mentioned in this stream. I converted to quartz probably 15 years ago and now I only adjust my clock twice a year for daylight savings time. It is always accurate and the original face and bezel are on the clock. I do not believe anyone can determine it is quartz unless they open up the clock.
Ted280sl
1969 280SL

[mnahon]

You don't have to open the clock; just wait a couple of minutes. If you don't hear the telltale 'thunk', it's quartz.

[Raymond]

I have the original clock in my car and since purchase in 2003, I have never heard it "clunk".  In a quiet garage, I can barely hear the ticking but never heard it wind.  So, I wouldn't miss the mechanical inaccuracy.  Where is a good place to get the quartz conversion and keep the original dial?

[mdsalemi]

I have the original clock in my car and since purchase in 2003, I have never heard it "clunk".  In a quiet garage, I can barely hear the ticking but never heard it wind.  So, I wouldn't miss the mechanical inaccuracy.  Where is a good place to get the quartz conversion and keep the original dial?

Mine was done by Palo Alto Speedometer. There's also North Hollywood Speedometer and a number of other places, some mentioned here on the forums. In all cases they just remove the movement and keep the original hands and dial; what they do is not seen.  I have seen some later models that say quartz on the faceplate but my conversion does not.

Like you, Ray, I couldn't care at all about funky mechanical sounds on a poorly designed clock that cannot keep good time. Others here would rather have no clock at all as opposed to a quartz conversion. It's whatever keeps you happy.