1754584460Code 8227Rare onboard chronometer signed D. Mc GREGOR & C. Makers To The Admiralty Glasgow &, Greenock F 3078, housed in a beautiful rosewood case with brass trim, from the second half of the 19th century, 56-hour power reserve.
Elegant original rosewood case with double lid, concealed handles, brass trim, hinges, concealed handles, and corner guards, as is its original key. On the outside of the lid and above the opening key is a mother-of-pearl label engraved with the manufacturer's name and chronometer number. Inside the case is the chronometer, mounted on gimbals secured by a screw lever. The chronometer movement is housed in a brass case and sealed internally by a glass crown. The chronometer case is mounted on gimbals to ensure stability and flatness. The chronometer is powered for 56 hours using the original brass key, housed inside the box. The dial is silver-plated, the hands are gold, and the hours are in Roman numerals. The seconds are displayed on a small dial at the bottom, while a second dial at the top indicates the watch's charge level.
Excellent condition, although the creased navy blue velvet lining the inside of the case is slightly damaged. It works perfectly.
Case dimensions: 18 x 18 x 19.5 cm – 7.1 x 7.1 x 7.8 inches
Duncan McGregor began his business in Greenock in 1836, and in 1844 opened an office in Glasgow. From 1856 onward, he became known as D. McGregor & Co. Further offices were opened in Liverpool in 1879 and London in 1886. The firm specialized in the construction of nautical and optical instruments.
In the early 1700s, the problem of calculating longitude—essentially, the distance along a parallel from a reference meridian—and thus the ship's position, plagued all sailors on board ships. In the eyes of eighteenth-century men, the world looked very far from what atlases, globes, and satellite photographs have made us familiar with, and countless Captains and their Sailors had lost their lives because their ships had been wrecked on the rocks of a coast that, according to their pilots' erroneous calculations, should not have been there.
The nautical chronometer was invented after years of work by John Harrison (1693-1776) and was one of the greatest technological achievements of all time. The chronometer, capable of indicating the exact time on a ship, solved the great and unsolved problem of calculating longitude at sea. In the 15th century, the development of ocean navigation and the resulting discoveries of new lands gave a huge boost to world trade, and the ability to navigate safely became vital for all seafaring nations. It took more than two centuries to finally solve the problem of calculating longitude precisely.
Chronometer production was limited to one in 1737, which was tested on board in 1763. By 1859, England had 750 chronometers, of which 610 were on board ships, 80 under repair, and 60 delivered. Production in 1889 was approximately 300 per year.
France owned two chronometers in 1768, and 143 in 1832.
The first chronometer in America was not produced until 1942. America, engaged in World War II, decided to mass-produce them through Hamilton and Elgin Watch Co. under license from the Swiss company Ulisse Nardin. In just one month, more chronometers were built than were produced in a year worldwide, delivering 8,902 in 1942: 8,902 for the Navy, 1,500 for the Naval Commission, 500 for the Army and Air Force, and 2,170 for the navies of other nations.
