Antique Yacht Or Boat Binnacle Compass by Polaris

Rare yacht binnacle with a highly polished gimballed compass fitted to a varnished box. The box has a polished brass side burner and hinges, hooks, and screws. First class nautical r...

Outstanding boat binnacle. This has been meticulously polished and lacquered. The varnished base has a warm patina. The gimballed compass is engraved E.S. R...

A fine English ship's binnacle compass of brass - a navigational instrument used for maritime travel. A binnacle is the housing that protects the com...

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...