The standard “Schiffswanduhr” (ship’s wall clock) or simply “Wanduhr” of the German Kriegsmarine (Navy) was made by Kieninger & Obergfell (today Kundo) of St. Georgen in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) region of Germany. There were some Kriegsmarine clocks manufactured by Junghans but these differ significantly and are beyond the scope of this discussion.
The clock features an eight-day key-wound movement that drives the hour, minute and second hands. The silvered dial features the Kriegsmarine “Hoheitszeichen” (eagle and swastika German national emblem) with the letter “M" that stands for “Marine” (Navy) on the left side of the face. The right side is usually serial numbered "3911" with a letter designating the fleet under the number; most commonly “N” for “Nordsee” that was based in Wilhelmshaven. Other clocks may show “O” for “Ostsee” (Baltic), based in Kiel, or “N/G “ for Nordgruppe.
Please note that the number on the dial is not the serial number of the movement or the case. The movement number is normally found stamped in the back plate of the movement and on the back of the case. The last two digits of this number is usually stamped into the case hinge and the front bezel lock as well.
Some of these Kieninger & Obergfell clocks were also used by the Luftwaffe. They were identical except for the dial which bore the Luftwaffe eagle instead of the Hoheitszeichen. I do not know of any examples that were used by the German “HEER” (Army) or the SS.
Cases are usually painted black or natural brass. It is said that the clocks were delivered from the factory with the cases painted semi-flat black but some were stripped and kept highly polished by the crews. Clocks painted beige have been reported, most likely from U-boats, having been painted by the crew.
Outside diameter of the bezel cover is roughly 6-5/8" (16cm) while the diameter of the base is 8" (20cm); depth is about 3-11/16" (10cm).
This clock is frequently called a “U-boat clock” but in fact this type of timepiece was used on all surface ships, shore-based installations as well as submarines. A battleship could be equipped with up to 64 clocks of this type. U-boats were issued 8.
This one was probably manufactured between 1938 and 1942. Unfortunately all records relative to these clocks were destroyed in an air raid on Bremerhaven and so it is not possible to know which clocks were assigned to which vessels or duty station.
Kriegsmarine clocks are quite rare in the United States. They are more easily found in the United Kingdom. After the German surrender in May 1945 large number of captured U-boats were towed to Northern Ireland and Scotland and stored there while the authorities decided what to do with them. Many of the sailors whose job was to guard these U-Boats were able to strip them of their clocks and other souvenirs over time with impunity. Many a clock was sold at the local pub for as little as £5 which paid for the round of drinks for the boys that night. Eventually it was decided to scuttle the U-boats or use them for target practice but by that time most of the clocks and other removable items like gauges and instruments had been stripped and were long gone.
Many of these clocks were “de-Nazified” by grinding down the Hoheitszeichen amd put back in service. Eventually new dials were made and installed on some wartime clocks as Germany transitioned into peacefile amd ally status.
Values range from $500 to $3500 with many being sold at auction. Although technically banned from eBay because most things displaying the swastika are verboten some do show up on the site from time to time. Savvy sellers will set the hands to 9 o’clock as the hour hand will nicely cover the offending symbol. I bought a very nice example for around $900 but usually they will go for $1800-$2400. Fakes exist of curse but they are easy to spot if you know what to look for.
