Olde Time Nautical Objects

Edwardian Terrestrial Globe with ebonised base, polished brass meridian marked from 0 to 80 degrees surmounted by a turned finial. The globe with its original label from George Phi...

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.

Pre World War I Nautical Compass by E.S.Ritchie Nautical compass mounted by a brass gimbal into a copper brass bound case with sloping glazed aperture with heavily bevelled glass. Flat brass bezel with five holding screws signed ‘E.S.Ritchie’ and numbered 5779. Side opening compartment for a lighted wick with drawer beneath. The compass is mounted in a heavy painted brass bowl with very fine copper pivot supporting the floating direction card. A diaphragm is located in the base of the bowl for temperature compensation. c.1910 E.S.Ritchie founded the business in 1850 to manufacture mechanical, electrical and scientific instruments. In 1857 he turned his attention to navigational instruments and begun making marine bearing compasses for the U.S.Navy before the American civil war. At the time the British admiralty dry mounted nautical compasses were considered by all navies and commercial shipping companies as the highest technological standard of the day, however, in 1860 Ritchie had received a US patent for the first successful and practical liquid-filled marine compass for general use. A major step forward in the technology of the compass. With the damping provided by the liquid, together with gimbal mounting, the floating card of the Ritchie compass...

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...

Nautical Marine Sextant by Negretti and Zambra, London. Brass and oxidised nautical sextant signed Negretti and Zambra, London. This fine instrumen...

Refracting mahogany telescope signed ‘Watkins, Charing Cross’, C.1810 The telescope retains it's original mahogany carrying case. Jeremiah Watkins ...

French wall barometer in a finely carved mahogany case with trailing fruit and vines surmounted by a lions mask, enamel dial with seven weather indicati...

Negretti & Zambra Fine Edwardian oak cased barograph with hinged lid, bevelled glass panels and central chart drawer. Seven vacuum ...

Fine Georgian mahogany bow fronted stick barometer. Bow fronted glass set in front of the silvered register plate with sliding vernier controlled by an ivory turned knob. Concertina ...

George III stick barometer in a finely figured mahogany case with canted corners and architectural pediment surmounted by a central ivory finial. Exposed mercury tube with bulb ciste...