Patent ID: 7520665

Claim:
A marine instrument comprising: a face having indicia associated therewith; an electrical, mechanical, electronic, or electro-mechanical instrument movement; at least one hand operatively connected to said movement and positioned to move with respect to said face; a casing water tight to at least about 12 inches of water, said movement, face and at least one hand disposed within said water-tight casing; and a first portion of said casing which facilitates fixing of said casing directly on a surface, and a second portion of said casing which is readily movably mounted with respect to said first portion to allow access to said movement when said first and second portions are in a first position, and precluding access to said movement when said first and second portions are in a second position, wherein a substantially water-tight volume is defined between said first and second portions when in said second position, and further comprising a vent substantially continuously allowing passage of air in and out of said volume but precluding passage of water into said volume under a pressure of at least 12 inches of water.