CRONOMETER
A mid-20th Century German Wempe marine chronometer with two day fusee movement, the silvered circular dial with Arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds and state of wind dials, and inscribed ‘Chronometerwerke, Wempe, Hamburg’ and numbered ‘9250’, in a brass bowl hung in gimbals, within a brass mounted mahogany case with glazed hinge lid, together with a mahogany outer case, total height approx 22cm.
CRONOMETER BRASS TYPE
Chronometers were the only instrument used on board ships for accurate timekeeping for purpose of navigational calculation. Some older ships used to carry two chronometers as a safeguard against mechanical failure or accident. but even chronometers have not escaped the advancement of science and the older version of winding chronometers are being replaced by quartz chronometer which is powered by small flashlight batteries. With the advent of satellite navigators, GPS and integrated navigation systems very accurate GMT can be obtained from any of them and hence on modern ships the chronometer tends to take a backseat. However at least one chronometer is carried on board ships and they are required to be maintained.
