Carlos Giani      (at 6:33pm, Sun 1st May, 22)

Hi, Michael!

Thanks a lot for your comment. Now I´m a couple of bytes wiser!

Since usually the Meccano belonged to junior, while the watch was Daddy´s, oh oh..! But he was kind, and bought dealer replacement parts for his son (I hope) :-)

Michael Walker      (at 3:52pm, Sun 1st May, 22)

This was not just a 'model' of a (pocket) watch stand. Instead, it was/is a useful 'watch stand' in its own right.

In the days when clocks and watches were less common and much more expensive than now, the idea was for the owner to hang their (opened) pocket watch on the stand, in such a way as its face, showing the time, could be visible from a distance.

This allowed the pocket watch to do 'double duty' as a sideboard, shelf or mantel clock, and was thus preferable to merely resting the watch flat on a table, where the time could only be seen by those standing nearby.

It is to be hoped that the owner of the Meccano parts was also the owner of the watch, or a dispute could ensue as to its long-term use!