Marine Chronometer By Wempe

An English gilt brass chronometer carriage timepiece with original travelling case, key and bill of sale. The grained gilt tapering case has a folding handle with bevelled glass panel to the top, bevelled glass panels to the sides and a solid rear plate with hand setting function and start/stop lever, signed Thomas Mercer and numbered 1184, dating from 1974 The silvered dial signed Thomas Mercer, with Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds dial and a state of wind indicator. Blued steel hands. The substantial eight day chain fusee movement with maintaining power, Earnshaw type detent escapement with a free-sprung palladium helical balance spring and heavy bimetallic balance. The original black leather tooled travelling case with lift out front cover is lined in blue velvet and the original safety winding key is stored in the top. Thomas Mercer was founded in 1858, and became one of the greatest chronometer makers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Ernest Shakleton used a Mercer chronometer on the 1914 Imperial Trans-Antartic Expedition, after the Endurance became trapped and destroyed in the pack ice, he heroically journeyed in a whaleboat, the James Caird, to South Georgia to get help for his stranded compatriots. He navigated with a Thomas Mercer chronometer...

This Fine french four glass mantel clock has a beautifully gilded case with thick bevelled glass panels and doors. the eight day movement with visible jewelled Brocot escapement is m...

A Fine Two Day Marine Chronometer By John Bliss and Co, New York. No.3068 Two day marine chromometer by John Bliss and Co housed in a beautiful three tier brass bound box with brass carrying handles to the sides, brass push button knob opening to a third tier. The box has a wonderful rich patina and retains it’s original solid brass Tipsy key. The movement is housed within a gimballed brass surround which is stamped H.M.I and marked with the ordnance arrow The high quality 56 hour chain fusee movement has full brass plates joined by four ringed pillars, an Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement with maintaining power, split bi-metallic balance and cylindrical shaped temperature compensation weights, polished steel helical balance and faceted endstone. The silvered dial signed ‘John Bliss & Co, New York No 3068 with subsidiary dial below XII for ‘state of wind’ and subsidiary seconds dial above the VI, original ‘blued’ steel hands. C.1890 John Bliss & Co worked at 128 Front Street, New York between 1880 and 1929 and then 84 Pearl Street, New York from 1934 to 1939. Front Street runs from the Brooklyn Bridge to Hudson Ave. and Navy Street, close to the Docks area. On the death of John Bliss, his sons John and George carried on the business. Their chronometers were placed 3rd, 6th and 8th at the Washington Observatory Trials in 1886. They became suppliers to the US Navy and also made meteorological instruments and devised an original way of making mainsprings. Many of their movements were supplied by makers in England, particularly Victor Kullberg.

A fine two Day Marine Chronometer by G.H & C Gowland, Sunderland No. 1931 Two day marine chromometer by G.H & C Gowland housed in a beautiful three tier mahogany brass bound box...