Arnold & Dent Box Chronometer
date: label: date made
content: 1839
name: label: manufacturer
content: Arnold & Dent
notes: label: Description
content: This instrument is a specialized timekeeper designed for finding longitude at sea. Its form is that of the standardized 19th-century marine chronometer. It was transferred to the Smithsonian from the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey. John Roger Arnold, son of chronometer maker John Arnold, and Edward John Dent (1790-1853) were in business together from 1830-1840 at 84 Strand, London. Charles Frodsham took over Arnold’s business after Arnold’s death in 1843. E. J. Dent, who had started making chronometers in 1814, continued in business until his death, when others continued the firm under various names and at various addresses. The business continues today.
label: Description
content: Mechanism details:
label: Description
content: Escapement: Earnshaw, spring detent
label: Description
content: Duration: 48-hour
label: Description
content: Power source: Spring drive with chain and fusee
label: Description
content: Balance spring: helical, blued steel
label: Description
content: Winding key, stamped "1131"
label: Description
content: Bowl details:
label: Description
content: Brass bowl, fitted with a sprung cylindrical inner bowl as a dust cover (original work); "1131" stamped on bottom inside of bowl
label: Description
content: Dimensions: 4.17" dia. across bezel x 2.7"
label: Description
content: Brass fittings, brass gimbal
label: Description
content: Bezel screwed and milled
label: Description
content: Crystal convex, plain
label: Description
content: Dial details:
label: Description
content: Engraved and silvered brass
label: Description
content: Indicates hours, minutes, seconds, winding level up and down
label: Description
content: Inscription: "ARNOLD & DENT, / 84. Strand, London No 1131”
label: Description
content: Hands: Gold, spade, with blued steel seconds hand
label: Description
content: Case details:
label: Description
content: Mahogany
label: Description
content: Three-part, glazed center section
label: Description
content: Brass side handles and escutcheon
label: Description
content: Bone roundel at front
label: Description
content: Inscriptions: "1131" engraved on roundel on case. "U.S.C.S." engraved on case lid
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: 1. Gould, Rupert T. <i>The Marine Chronometer.</i> London: Holland Press, 1960.
label: Description
content: 2. Mercer, Tony. <i>Chronometer Makers of the World.</i> Essex: NAG Press, 1991.
label: Description
content: 3. Mercer, Vaudrey. <i>John Arnold & Son.</i> London: Antiquarian Horological Society, 1972.
label: Description
content: 4. Mercer, Vaudrey. <i>Edward John Dent and His Successors.</i> London: Antiquarian Horological Society, 1977.
label: Description
content: 5. Whitney, Marvin E. <i>The Ship's Chronometer.</i> Cincinnati: American Watchmakers Institute Press, 1985.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanisms
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content: Time and Navigation
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content: Measuring & Mapping
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: ME.314612
label: catalog number
content: 314612
label: accession number
content: 206050
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Chronometer
label: Object Name
content: Box Chronometer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: mahogany (container material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 1/8 in x 6 1/2 in x 6 in; 15.5575 cm x 16.51 cm x 15.24 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall - from catalog card: 6 1/8 in x 6 in x 6 3/4 in; 15.5575 cm x 15.24 cm x 17.145 cm