Lot 41

John Roger Arnold, London, Inv. et Fecit / E.J. Dent, London, "New Escapement, Balance, & Balance Spring", Movement No. 499, 185 x 180 x 185 mm, circa 1818
A fine ship's chronometer
Case: mahogany, brass inlays, inlaid ivory signature shield, applied handles, case key, brass gimbals and bowl, three-body, with lid and glass. Dial: silvered, signed, numbered, radial Roman numerals, auxiliary seconds, blued spade hands. Movm.: brass movement, moulded movement pillars, going barrel, spring detent escapement according to Thomas Earnshaw, numbered, signed, bimetallic chronometer balance with 10 screws and 4 nuts according to Pennington, freesprung blued helical balance spring, chatoned diamond endstone on balance.
This is one of six marine chronometers by J. R. Arnold that were handed over to Dent in 1845 for maintenance after years of service. Instead of repairing them, Dent pointed out "that the chronometers (…), having been in the government service about 40 years, could not be made to perform equal to the chronometers of the present day, without new escapements, balance and pendulum springs…" and proposed supplying new chronometers and accepting the old ones as payment. The Navy accepted Dent’s proposal; Dent fitted the used chronometers with new escapements and noted this in the signature on the dial.
Source: V. Mercer, Edward John Dent and his Successors, p. 329f

In 1819 this chronometer was used on a survey voyage on the expedition ship "HMS Kangaroo" under Captain A. Love; it was sold to Captain Bucen on April 1, 1823. From 1825 to 1843 it was used on six more voyages.
Sources: H. Staeger, "100 Jahre Präzisionsuhren", p. 339f, V. Mercer, John Arnold & Son, p. 248

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