Nautical instruments
This part of the collection includes mainly navigational instruments from the early sailing period, the time when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel.
Well preserved dry card and gimbaled compass in wooden case of oak with slit cover. On the rose with 32 points, the name of the maker. North with beautiful fleur de lis as well as the east point which indicatest the direction of Jerusalem. The inside of the binnacle is painted white with lubber’s line. On the backside of the rose a paper with Leith and three dates of control in 1860, 1861 and 1863.
Catalog: NM.1-34
Date: 1850 -1860
HWL case: 16×27,2×27,2 cm (6 2/8×10 6/8×10 6/8”)
D compass: 19,5 cm 7 6/8”)
Signed: D. STALKER * 9, COMMERCIAL PLACE, LEITH. * Quadrant Compass & Telescope Maker
Origin: England
Condition: perfect, lid seems to be of a later date
Eight-days marine chronometer made by Waltham, Massachusetts USA. The clock is mounted in a three-tier mahogany case with brass bands and a lift up glass cover. The case has a beautiful patin and can be locked with the original key. Inside with a lever to secure the gimbal during transport. The clock is wound by a knurled knob and has a power reserve of eight days. When pulled out this knob also sets the time.
Clock and case are in a fine and original condition. The clock keeps the time very well.
Making position at sea by sun and star reckoning requires a precise Greenwich time. Therefore a chronometer is always present on the bridge of a ship. The accuracy of the clock is checked every day.
Between 1907 and 1936 Waltham made around 16,000 of these well known eigth-days and boxed chronometers especially for the US Navy and US Coast Guard. The one offered has number 19042364 which dates the chronometer around 1912.
Catalog: NM.1-36
Date: ca. 1912
HWL case: 12,5×12,5×12,5 cm (4,9×4,9×4,9”)
HWL carrying case: 19x19x19 cm, rare
D clock: 7,6 cm (3”)
Signed: WALTHAM WATCH CO.
Origin: USA
Condition: perfect, signs of use at the backside
An interesting three mirror octant with Vernier nonius, made by or for Robert Williamson in 1768.
The first octant was created by Hadley in 1731. In Great-Britain and North-America the instrument was called the Hadley’s quadrant to distinguish it from the Davis quadrant. Hadley got in 1734 a patent for eleven years. Immediately after it came to an end other instrumentmakers started with making octants.
This octant is made of mahogany. The graduated scale is made of ivory with a Vernier nonius. The engraving is made by hand. At the graduation every degree is divided in parts of 20 minutes, The Vernier nonius is divided in twenty equal parts. The accuracy of reading with this nonius is one minute. A mistake is made on the vernier. Where 15 is engraved it should be 5.
The lower horizon mirror and peepsight were used for backward observation. As the horizon just below the sun was invisible, in this way it was possible to use the opposite horizon. The instrument was used back to front. The observer had the sun in his back. The sunshades moved to the lower position.
This beautiful instrument with nice patin, is complete and in a good condition, with three mirrors, two peep sights and two sunshades. On the backside three brass legs and the adjusting-screws.
The mirror table of this octant is also made of mahogany. Octants of a later date have brass ones. The nonius does not have a double scale anymore, but still has the width of a double scale.
Catalog: NM.2-34
Date: 1768
HW: 50×42 cm (19.8×16.5 in)
Radius (rotation axis till nonius): 43,5 cm (17.2 in)
Signed: * Robert Williamson 1768 *
Origin: England
Condition: for its age, very good, minor crack in the graduation left under, two cracks in one of the sunshades