Chronometers

Andrewes (W.J.H.) (Editor): The Quest for Longitude
NEW. 437 pages, illustrated, 2nd edition, 1998. This is a valuable, learned volume, being a record of the contributions to the Longitude Symposium held at Harvard University in 1993. The symposium was held to commemorate John Harrison's birth 300 years before, and is the best contribution to understanding Harrison and time keeping at sea since Quill's book, John Harrison, the Man who found Longitude, was published in 1966. As well as information about marine timekeepers by Harrison, Earnshaw, Mudge and Arnold the book covers Harrison's wooden and brass regulators. With dust jacket. (Ref: N8)
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Price: £49.95

Bertele (H. von): Marine and Pocket Chronometers, Their History and Development
NEW. 310 pages plus 8 page bibliography, 350 items illustrated, 1991. This is the English edition of a book first published in Germany. The illustrations are excellent and the book is recommended to all those interested in chronometers. With dust jacket. (Ref: N36)
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Price: £95.00

Bertele (H. von): Marine und Taschenchronometer
O/P. 364 pages illustrated, 1st edition, 1981. An excellent, well illustrated book, recommended reading for all those interested in marine and pocket chronometers. A good copy, the dust jacket worn at head and foot of spine with a few small tears. [German language]

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(Ref: K1941)
Price: £140.00

Betts (J.): Harrison
NEW. 96 pages, over 60 illustrations, enlarged edition, 2007. An excellent book explaining the longitude problem and the life and work of John Harrison. Harrison's early clocks, the Brocklesby Park clock, the precision pendulum clocks, the R.A.S. regulator and the marine timekeepers H1 to H4 are all illustrated and discussed. Also illustrated is a sketch by Harrison of his 'lesser watch' which may have been made but has never been found. Card covers with dust jacket. (Ref: N2268)
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Price: £8.00

Betts (J.): Time Restored The Harrison timekeepers and R. T. Gould, the man who knew (almost) Everything
NEW. 464 pages, 61 illustrations, 2006, reprinted 2007. An interesting new biography of Lt Cdr Rupert Gould, the author of The Marine Chronometer, written with the cooperation of his family and with access to his diaries. Gould, best known for his chronometer book and the rescue and restoration of John Harrison's timekeepers, wrote, lectured and broadcast on several subjects. A well researched and written book which I can thoroughly recommend. With dust jacket. (Ref: N995)
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Price: £39.50

BHI: Principles and Explanations of Timekeepers by Harrison, Arnold and Earnshaw
O/P. An introduction to and facsimile reprint of papers published by the Commissioners of Longitude about Harrison's, Arnold's and Earnshaw's chronometers in 1767, 1805 and 1806. A fine copy of the leather spine/marbled boards edition published in 1984, the British Horological Institute's 125th anniversary year. Original film wrapper present but with several small tears.

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(Ref: K1094)
Price: £160.00

BHI: Principles and Explanations of Timekeepers by Harrison, Arnold and Earnshaw
O/P. An introduction to and facsimile reprint of papers published by the Commissioners of Longitude about Harrison's, Arnold's and Earnshaw's chronometers in 1767, 1805 and 1806. A copy of the cloth/marbled boards edition published in 1984, the British Horological Institute's 125th anniversary year. A very good copy but some idiot has written 'John Harrison et al Board of Lo.' in felt tip pen on the cloth spine.

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(Ref: K1783)
Price: £100.00

Cronin (J.): The Marine Chronometer its History and Development
NEW. 112 pages, illustrated, 2010. An introductory book on the subject with chapters on Navigation and Longitude, John Harrison, Kendal and Mudge, Developments in France and England, The Mechanism of the Chronometer, Chronometer Manufacture, Some Important Makers and a (trivial) chapter on chronometer maintenance. With dust jacket. (Ref: N2283)
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Price: £14.99

Daniels (G.): The Art of Breguet
O/P. 394 pages, well illustrated with 427 b&w illustrations and 12 colour plates, 1st edition, 3rd impression, 1986. A magnificent volume, now the standard reference work, about the life and work of Abraham Louis Breguet and his successors. A pristine, unused copy with excellent dust jacket.

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(Ref: N950)
Price: £160.00

Eder (N.): Beobachtungsuhren - Deck watches - Chronomètres de bord
O/P. 216 pages, 23 figs., 130 watches illustrated, 1987. The only work devoted to deck watches, with preliminary chapters on production in various countries followed by descriptions and illustrations of watches produced by all the well-known European and American makers. A fine copy of a rare book, with very good dust jacket. [Note: Only the book's title is in 3 languages, the contents are entirely in German]

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(Ref: K2508)
Price: £220.00

Fallet (E.): La Mesure du Temps en Mer et les Horlogers Suisses
NEW. 520 pages, illustrated, 1995. A comprehensive study of Swiss marine chronometer makers and their work; some makers such as Nardin and Ditisheim are well known, but this book also includes a lot of less well known makers. The book includes a chapter on the Neuchâtel and Geneva Observatories where chronometers were tested and a list of all the chronometers (with their serial numbers) on trial at Neuchâtel between 1860 and 1984 - very useful for dating extant examples. [French language] (Ref: N2290)
Price: £85.00

Gould (R.T.): The Marine Chronometer its History and Development
O/P. 287 pages, 39 plates, 85 figures, 1978. The classic work on marine chronometers, written in 1923 and still the best reference work on the subject with a detailed history of the chronometer and its pioneers - John Harrison, Thomas Mudge, Thomas Earnshaw and John Arnold. A very good copy of the Holland Press edition, the dust jacket good, with light wear to edges.

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(Ref: K714)
Price: £250.00

[Hamilton]: Manual for Overhaul, Repair and Handling of Hamilton Ship Chronometer with Parts Catalog
NEW. 98 pages, 112 figures, reprinted 2000. This is a re-publication of the U.S. Navy’s manual for the Hamilton model 21 marine chronometer published in 1948. The book describes the principles of operation of the instrument and gives detailed information and instructions for its operation, maintenance, repair, overhaul, testing and adjustment. Soft covers. (Ref: N1311)
Price: £15.00

Jagger (C.): Paul Philip Barraud - a study of a fine Chronometer Maker, and of his Relatives, Associates and Successors in the Family Business 1750 - 1929 (complete with supplement)
O/P. 177 pages, 21 plates, 1968. An excellent book about the Barraud business with a useful listing of known chronometers, clocks, watches and their serial numbers, very useful when trying to date other examples. Complete with the supplement published in 1979, making a total of 283 pages and 33 plates. Barraud's are one of the most respected 19th century chronometer makers so this book is essential reading for enthusiasts. The book is in very good condition (boards slightly warped), the supplement good (crease to spine). Book: hardback without dust jacket, supplement: card covers.

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(Ref: K952)
Price: £120.00

Knirim (K.): British Military Timepieces / Uhren der britischen Streitkräfte
NEW. 793 pages, well illustrated, 2009. A large detailed reference book cataloguing the wide variety of chronometers, deck watches, pocket watches, wristwatches and clocks used by the British Army, Navy and Air Force in the 19th and 20th century. There are also chapters on watches used by Commonwealth and French Forces as well as (strangely!) Japan. With dust jacket. [English and German language]

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(Ref: N1927)
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Price: £135.00

Knirim (K.): Military Timepieces - 150 Years of Watches and Clocks of German Forces / Militäruhren - 150 Jahre Zeitmessung beim deutschen Militär
NEW. 625 pages, well illustrated, 2nd edition, 2002. A large detailed reference book cataloguing the wide variety of chronometers, clocks and watches used by the German military from about 1850 onwards, including East and West Germany during the Cold War period. With dust jacket. [English and German language]

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(Ref: N1928)
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Price: £110.00

Levenberg (J.): Russian Wristwatches, Pocket watches, Stop Watches, Deck Watches & Marine Chronometers
NEW. 96 pages, 505 items illustrated, 1995. With an increasing number of Russian watches and chronometers arriving in the West this book is a useful guide for collectors. The book includes a guide to Cyrillic inscriptions and a price guide in US dollars, the prices now somewhat out of date. Card covers. (Ref: N1282)
Price: £16.95

Meis (R.): A. Lange & Söhne, the Watchmakers of Dresden
NEW. 383 pages, over 900 illustrations, 2nd edition, 2005. A detailed history of the famous German firm with detailed information about the pocket watches, wristwatches, clocks and marine chronometers produced since 1845. The business was founded in 1845 by Adolph Lange in Glashütte and, following the reunification of Germany and the revival of the firm, has become a respected maker of first class mechanical wristwatches. With dust jacket and slipcase.

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(Ref: N2291)
Price: £110.00

Mercer (A.): Chronometer Makers of the World
NEW. 301 pages, illustrated, revised edition, 2004. This book is very useful as it contains an extensive list of chronometer makers and craftsmen with addresses and working dates. The early chapters include information about John Harrison, the Greenwich trials, Kelvin & Hughes, Mercer serial numbers, etc. This revised edition has a few corrections in the list of makers and 10 extra pages at the end - Chronometer frame makers (1 page), overseas names listed by country (5 pages) and detailed views of Mercer chronometer movements (4 pages). With dust jacket. (Ref: N411)
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Price: £42.00

Mercer (V.): The Frodshams - the Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers
O/P. 458 pages, 106 plates, 1981. This is the standard work on the various branches of the Frodsham family. Charles Frodsham and Parkinson & Frodsham are two of the most famous chronometer making enterprises of the 19th and early 20th century. The book also covers the business of Frodsham & Keen as well as that of other family members. This is an excellent reference book about this family of chronometer, clock and watchmakers. A good copy but with very poor dust jacket and 2 bruised corners.

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(Ref: K717)
Price: £250.00

Mudge (T.): A Description with Plates of The Timekeeper Invented by the Late Mr. Thomas Mudge to which is Prefixed a Narrative, by Thomas Mudge, his son
NEW. Portrait, [14 pp], 151 page prefix, 176 pages, 9 plates, first published in 1799 this is the 1977 facsimile reprint. An excellent quality reprint of this horological classic work by one of the chronometer pioneers. The first 8 plates are about marine chronometers and the 9th is of the lever escapement invented by Mudge. (Ref: N474)
Price: £25.00

Nardin (R.): Les Chronomètres de Marine Ulysse Nardin
NEW. 158 pages, illustrated, 1994. This is the only book I know of about the chronometers of the famous Swiss business, Ulysse Nardin. The first 132 pages, by Raymond Nardin, open with a brief history of the quest for accurate timekeeping at sea from 1708 to 1803, plus details of the Nardin family between 1803 and 1846, followed by a detailed account of the Ulysse Nardin business from its founding in 1846 up to 1975. The second part of the book by Estelle Fallet is a detailed study of the chronometer activities of Paul-David Nardin (Ulysse Nardin's son) between 1876 and 1918. Card covers. [French language] (Ref: N2112)
Price: £65.00

Osterhausen (F. von): Paul Ditisheim Chronometrier
NEW. 134 pages, illustrated, 2003. A detailed biography of the great Swiss chronometer maker and the watches and chronometers he produced. The book includes details of his chronometers entered for trials at various observatories as well as a guide to the years in which various serial numbers were produced. [French and German language.] (Ref: N1294)
Price: £80.00

Osterhausen (F. von): Wristwatch Chronometers - Mechanical Precision Watches and their Testing
NEW. 211 pages, 289 illustrations, 1997. The first section of the book is a detailed account of chronometer testing for wristwatches in Europe, primarily in Switzerland. Information is given about testing methods and procedures based on the yearly reports from the Swiss Observatories and Swiss testing agencies. The remainder of the book illustrates and describes wristwatch chronometers from a large number of makers (mainly Swiss). With dust jacket. (Ref: P1897)
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Price: £59.95

Randall (A.G.): The Time Museum Catalogue of Chronometers
NEW. 366 pages, illustrated in colour and black & white, 1992. An excellent work describing and illustrating the Time Museum's collection of 157 precision timekeepers, mostly with spring detent escapements, one or two with lever escapements and a George Daniels watch with his double wheel 'independent' escapement. This work is an excellent reference book and includes examples by Mudge, Arnold, Earnshaw, Berthoud, Breguet and Motel to name a few. The list of known Earnshaw chronometers and their double numbering system is very useful for dating Earnshaw's work. A guide to dating Ulysse Nardin chronometers is also given. This book is essential reading for chronometer enthusiasts.

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(Ref: N434)
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Price: £150.00

Robey (J.) Editor: Your Time - Including the Contribution of Northwest England to the Development of Clocks and Watches
NEW. 136 pages, illustrated in colour, 2008. The catalogue of an exhibition organised by the Northern Section of the Antiquarian Horological Society, with interesting introductions on Chronometers, Watchmaking in Prescot & South Lancashire, Edward Massey's Lever Escapement, Unfinished or Raw Movements, Turret Clocks and the Lancashire Watch Company by Edward Powell, Alan Smith, Alan Treherne and Chris McKay. The interesting text and good illustrations of the 127 exhibits mean that this will be a useful reference book in the years to come. Card covers. (Ref: N1698)
Price: £20.00

Sabrier (J.-C.): Longitude at Sea in the Time of Louis Berthoud and Henri Motel
NEW. 720 pages, 174 illustrations, 1993. In English and French. A detailed study of the life and work of Pierre-Louis Berthoud (1754 - 1813) and Jean-François Henri Motel (1786 - 1859), the famous French chronometer makers. This book is the definitive reference work on these makers as the author has used the order books, workshop journals and French Naval records which all fortunately still exist. For each maker a list of all items made is given with details of who made various parts and their cost, as well as the name of the original purchaser. Film wrapper and card slip case.

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(Ref: N534)
Price: £265.00

Sherwood (N.B.): Watch and Chronometer Jeweling
NEW. 120 pages, the 1988 reprint of the original work, which was published in 1892 in Chicago. An inexpensive reprint which makes the contents of a now rare book available to all. Card covers. (Ref: N629)
Price: £14.50

Whitney (M.E.): Military Timepieces
NEW. 667 pages, illustrated, 1992. Now in print again. A detailed survey of American and European deck watches, marine clocks, chronometers, elapsed time clocks, etc., used by the military onboard ships and aircraft. The products of Hamilton, Elgin, Chelsea, Waltham, Breitling and many other companies are included. Specialist timepieces for use in tanks and by divers, as well as stopwatches, and wristwatches are all discussed. With dust jacket. (Ref: N933)
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Price: £69.50

Whitney (M.E.): The Ship's Chronometer
NEW. 499 pages, many figures and b&w photographs, 1991. Now in print again. The author trained as a chronometer maker and worked at the United States Naval Observatory in Washington. This is an excellent book about the history of the chronometer; the role of observatories; chronometer trials; repair, cleaning and handling; pocket chronometers and deck watches; and much more. The book is an excellent source for information about American chronometers by Hamilton and other makers, especially William Bond, John Bliss and the Negus family. The chapter on the quartz chronometer is also useful as is the section on rare and unusual chronometers (mainly English). With dust jacket. (Ref: N934)
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Price: £69.50