Wm. Bond & Son Box Chronometer
Wm. Bond & Son Box Chronometer
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Usage conditions apply
- Description
- This instrument is a specialized timekeeper originally designed for finding longitude at sea and later used everywhere as a source of portable precise time. It has an English-made chronometer movement, finished by the firm William Bond & Son of Boston and fitted with the Bond break-circuit device, electrical equipment to permit the telegraphing of time signals. The Smithsonian’s Astrophysical Observatory used the instrument. The chronometer’s wooden box fits into a padded basket for extra protection.
- Mechanism details:
- Escapement: Earnshaw, spring detent, later pattern
- Duration: 56-hour
- Power source: Spring drive with chain and fuse
- Bowl details:
- Brass bowl
- Brass gimbals
- Bezel screwed and milled
- Crystal flat and plain
- Dial details:
- Engraved and silvered brass
- Indicates hours, minutes, seconds, winding level up and down, 24-hour dial
- Inscription: "WM. BOND & SON, / Boston. No. 586" on dial; "WM. BOND & SON'S, BREAKCIRCUIT. / U. S. A." on silvered inside of bezel
- Hands: Gold, spade, with blued seconds and Up & Down hands
- Case details:
- Box: solid wood, three-part, glazed center section
- Brass corners
- Mother of pearl key escutcheon
- Inscriptions: "WM. BOND & SON. / Boston. No 521 / BREAK CIRCUIT" on nameplate
- "BOND / 521" on small oval plate in bottom of box
- Carrying case: Basket, with padding
- References:
- 1. Gould, Rupert T. The Marine Chronometer. London: Holland Press, 1960.
- 2. Whitney, Marvin E. The Ship's Chronometer. Cincinnati: American Watchmakers Institute Press, 1985.
- Location
- Currently on loan
- Object Name
- box chronometer
- date made
- ca 1870
- maker
- Wm. Bond & Son
- place made
- United States: Massachusetts, Boston
- Physical Description
- brass (overall material)
- glass (overall material)
- steel (overall material)
- wood (container material)
- Measurements
- overall: 11 in x 10 3/4 in x 11 in; 27.94 cm x 27.305 cm x 27.94 cm
- ID Number
- ME.314839
- catalog number
- 314839
- accession number
- 210897
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: Mechanisms
- Measuring & Mapping
- Time and Navigation
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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