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Navy Compass

Antique maritime navy compass
Antique maritime navy compass

Antique maritime navy compass

Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj

Antique maritime navy compass in very nice original condition.

Category

Antique 19th Century European Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

British Royal Navy Small Craft Binnacle Compass
British Royal Navy Small Craft Binnacle Compass

British Royal Navy Small Craft Binnacle Compass

Located in Norwell, MA

Royal Navy compass binnacle with highly polished and lacquered finish with brass badge engraved Pattern 0919, Compass No. 2308, HS.

Category

Vintage 1940s Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

c. 1920-40 Teak & Brass English Pedestal Binnacle
c. 1920-40 Teak & Brass English Pedestal Binnacle

c. 1920-40 Teak & Brass English Pedestal Binnacle

By Kelvin Bottomley & Baird 1

Located in Chapel Hill, NC

Level with British Royal Navy insignia. Tilling Stevens Ltd Royal Navy Compass.

Category

Early 20th Century English Edwardian Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

United State Navy Ships Binnacle Compass
United State Navy Ships Binnacle Compass

United State Navy Ships Binnacle Compass

Located in Norwell, MA

Immense three-hundred-pound ships binnacle compass with highly polished and lacquered finish. With maker’s plate from Lionel Corp. With the rarely found top light that is complete wi...

Category

Vintage 1940s North American Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

AZIMUTH Circle E.S. Ritchie & Sons US Navy Maritime Compass Bronze & Wood Box
AZIMUTH Circle E.S. Ritchie & Sons US Navy Maritime Compass Bronze & Wood Box

AZIMUTH Circle E.S. Ritchie & Sons US Navy Maritime Compass Bronze & Wood Box

By E.S. Ritchie & Co

Located in Miami, FL

Navy supplier and a leader in navigation technology, still operating today under the name Ritchie Navigation in Pembroke, MA.

Category

Early 20th Century American Edwardian Nautical Objects

Materials

Bronze, Brass

Recent Sales

WW1 British Officers Military Pocket Compass by Army & Navy  c.1916
WW1 British Officers Military Pocket Compass by Army & Navy  c.1916

WW1 British Officers Military Pocket Compass by Army & Navy c.1916

By Army & Navy CSL

Located in Bath, GB

A good nickel plated WW1 British Officers Military Pocket Compass signed on the lid interior "A & N Co. S Ltd / Westminster / SW" dating to c.1916/1917. The hunter cased pocket co...

Category

Vintage 1910s British Scientific Instruments

Materials

Nickel

US Navy Bureau of Ships No 5 Mark 2 Boat Compass John E Hand & Sons Co.
US Navy Bureau of Ships No 5 Mark 2 Boat Compass John E Hand & Sons Co.

US Navy Bureau of Ships No 5 Mark 2 Boat Compass John E Hand & Sons Co.

By United States Navy

Located in Chula Vista, CA

Compass US Navy bureau of ships boat compass No 5 compass John E Hand & Sons Company Attached plaque stamp decal with serial number Measures: 7 H x 8 W x 5 D inches Preowned use...

Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Nautical Objects

Materials

Metal

Brass U.S. Navy Binnacle Compass
Brass U.S. Navy Binnacle Compass

Brass U.S. Navy Binnacle Compass

Sold

H 14 in W 14 in D 14 in

Brass U.S. Navy Binnacle Compass

Located in Norwell, MA

Solid brass U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships gimbaled marine compass in brass case with engraved maker’s plate.

Category

Vintage 1940s Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

British Royal Navy Ship’s Binnacle Compass
British Royal Navy Ship’s Binnacle Compass

British Royal Navy Ship’s Binnacle Compass

Located in Norwell, MA

Solid brass ship’s compass on gimbal mounted into a brass binnacle housing. The nameplate reads pattern 0183, and serial number 14313-B. The compass card shows the royal crown. The b...

Category

Vintage 1940s European Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Vintage U.S. Navy Cased Gimballed Compass, Circa 1943
Vintage U.S. Navy Cased Gimballed Compass, Circa 1943

Vintage U.S. Navy Cased Gimballed Compass, Circa 1943

Located in Colorado Springs, CO

Presented is a U.S. Navy gimballed compass from 1943. The brass compass is beautifully constructed and fitted in a wooden lidded box with buckle.

Category

Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Nautical Objects

Materials

Metal

British Royal Navy Brass Dry Card Compass, Circa 1870
British Royal Navy Brass Dry Card Compass, Circa 1870

British Royal Navy Brass Dry Card Compass, Circa 1870

Located in Charleston, SC

British Royal Navy brass dry card compass with original side light burner, hinged viewing port, and carrying handle.

Category

Antique 19th Century British Nautical Objects

1942 U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships Mounted Compass by Longines Wittnauer Watch Co.
1942 U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships Mounted Compass by Longines Wittnauer Watch Co.

1942 U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships Mounted Compass by Longines Wittnauer Watch Co.

By Longines

Located in San Francisco, CA

A US Navy Bureau of Ships Mounted Compass model 11310 manufactured in 1942 by the Longines Wittnauer Watch Co.

Category

Vintage 1940s American Industrial Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

19th C. Leather Wrapped French Navy Binoculars, C.1880
19th C. Leather Wrapped French Navy Binoculars, C.1880

19th C. Leather Wrapped French Navy Binoculars, C.1880

Located in San Francisco, CA

ABOUT This is an original pair of leather wrapped French navy binoculars with a working compass on the end.

Category

Antique Late 19th Century French High Victorian Sports Equipment and Mem...

Materials

Metal

Antique maritime navy compass Francis Barker & Son
Antique maritime navy compass Francis Barker & Son

Antique maritime navy compass Francis Barker & Son

Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj

Antique maritime navy compass Francis Barker & Son London

Category

Antique 19th Century British Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

US Navy Solid Brass Ships Binnacle Compass
US Navy Solid Brass Ships Binnacle Compass

US Navy Solid Brass Ships Binnacle Compass

Located in Norwell, MA

Highly polished ships compass binnacle. With brass plate from the "US Navy Bureau of ships”. 5 inch dome head binnacle “CG Conn LTD Elkhart Indiana” With Calibration tubes, iron comp...

Category

Vintage 1940s North American Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

Pocket Compass Used by the British Navy in the WWI
Pocket Compass Used by the British Navy in the WWI

Pocket Compass Used by the British Navy in the WWI

Located in Milan, IT

Pocket compass used by the officers of the British Navy during the First World War, made of chromed brass in the shape of a pocket watch.

Category

Vintage 1910s British Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass

Large World War II US Navy Brass Compass on Oak Stand, 1942
Large World War II US Navy Brass Compass on Oak Stand, 1942

Large World War II US Navy Brass Compass on Oak Stand, 1942

Located in Haddonfield, NJ

This large United States Navy Bureau of Ships compass is a Mark I 1942 issue.

Category

Vintage 1940s American Industrial Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass

WWII era Lifeboat compass by Hand & Sons of Philadelphia
WWII era Lifeboat compass by Hand & Sons of Philadelphia

WWII era Lifeboat compass by Hand & Sons of Philadelphia

Located in London, GB

Hand in Philadelphia, manufacturer of surveyor's instruments and navigational equipment and provided a service as compass adjusters. The Hand Company built instruments for all type...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Nautical Objects

Materials

Brass, Copper, Enamel

WWII U.S. Navy Ships Compass
WWII U.S. Navy Ships Compass

WWII U.S. Navy Ships Compass

Sold

H 7 in Dm 12 in

WWII U.S. Navy Ships Compass

Located in San Francisco, CA

Solid brass WWII era Navy ships compass. Circular body with pivoting outer ring that was designed to hold the compass in it's housing on board the vessel.

Category

20th Century American Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass

Panerai WWII Diving Compass from the Italian Navy Diver Commando
Panerai WWII Diving Compass from the Italian Navy Diver Commando

Panerai WWII Diving Compass from the Italian Navy Diver Commando

By Panerai

Located in BREST, FR

Very rare Panerai old Diving Compass from the WWII Italian Navy Commando: Wrist compass with stainless steel case and antimagnetic base secured by six screws, Plexiglas dome with lum...

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Vintage 1940s Italian Collectible Jewelry

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Metal

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Navy Compass For Sale on 1stDibs

Find many varieties of an authentic navy compass available at 1stDibs. Each navy compass for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, brass and paper. If you’re shopping for a navy compass, we have 22 options in-stock, while there are 1 modern editions to choose from as well. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect navy compass — we have versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are available. When you’re browsing for the right navy compass, those designed in mid-century modern, modern and Victorian styles are of considerable interest. You’ll likely find more than one navy compass that is appealing in its simplicity, but Captain Greenvile Collins, Craft Associates and E.S. Ritchie & Co produced versions that are worth a look.

Finding the Right Collectibles-curiosities for You

Antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities can bring whimsy and wonder to any interior. 

Decorating with old scientific instruments, historical memorabilia and vintage musical instruments, as well as other authentic collectibles and curiosities that can be found on 1stDibs, presents an opportunity to create a unique, natural history museum-like atmosphere in your home that can provoke conversation as often as it pays tribute to how far we’ve come in understanding our world. 

And bringing collectibles and curiosities into your space is actually on trend — Wunderkammern, or curiosity cabinets, were all the rage in Europe during the 1500s and continued to have adherents there and in the U.S. in the following centuries. Today, however, they’re experiencing a real surge in popularity and influencing how many interior designers are furnishing and decorating homes — combining contemporary with antique, scientific with tribal, earthly with extraterrestrial, Les Lalanne tables with Flemish tapestries.

The original Wunderkammern were entire rooms filled with objects demonstrating their owners’ worldly knowledge: A proper one included artificiala or preciosa (objets d’art); naturalia (such as skeletons, shells, minerals); exotica (taxidermy or dried plants); and scientifica (scientific instruments), frequently alongside religious relics and ancient artifacts.

Pay tribute to a history of rich and diverse musical traditions that have taken shape all over the world by decorating your home with a collection of antique and vintage musical instruments — with a little help from strong hanging wire or some wall hooks, vintage brass instruments such as a gong, French horn or trumpet can help elevate a home office or complement the efforts you’ve made to ensure a welcoming vibe in your home’s entryway. Bells or antique wind instruments can add provocative metallic contrasts to dark woods as tabletop decorative objects.  

Create an intriguing focal point with Georgian scientific instruments, such as stick barometers with mahogany cases or lacquered brass telescopes. These items stem from an era named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who ruled England in succession starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign, which lasted until 1837). Just as there was beautiful jewelry produced during the period that today is coveted by collectors, there is much to be found in the collectibles and curiosities realm too.

Wanderlust, nostalgia and a shared love of good design are contributing factors to certain trends in decorating — just as vintage trunks and luggage have reappeared as furniture or home accents in a bedroom or foyer, decorating with globes, maps or nautical objects is similarly rooted in the allure of travel and a penchant for the stylish finishing touch that collectibles bring to our homes.

Find a wide range of antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities on 1stDibs.

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