A Victorian Royal presentation engraved gilt-brass eight-day marine chronometer

JAMES MCCABE, NO. 471, CIRCA 1860

Details

A Victorian Royal presentation engraved gilt-brass eight-day marine chronometer
James McCabe, No. 471, circa 1860
The dial signed James Mc.Cabe Royal Exchange London on the chapter ring with raised polished gilt Roman chapters, the centre finely engraved with scrolling foliage with large diameter subsidiary seconds ring at VI and up-and-down ring beneath XII, elaborately pierced lancet form blued hands, the movement signed James McCabe, Royal Exchange, LONDON. 471, Earnshaw escapement, main and sub-frame assemblies, cut bimetallic balance, segmental heat compensation weights, blued steel helical balance spring, spring foot detent with jewelled locking stone, the glazed bowl held within an elaborate pierced and foliate engraved gimball secured in a trunion-type setting in the uprights of the heavily cast gilt stand chased and engraved with intricate foliate designs with scroll feet, the sides with glazed shaped and recessed reserves painted on one side with the Royal monogram Victoria Regina with the crown and star beneath, the alternate side painted with a monogram for the Maharaja of Kashmir with the motto Heavens light our guide within a sunburst, on a rectangular gilt-wood base with entrelac carving and covered with a similarly carved glazed gilt-wood rectangular case
115 mm. dial diam., 215 x 300 mm. display case

Lot Essay

The main frame and sub-frame assemblies and dial-plate are all numbered 460. There are no marks behind the dial. Another comparable presentation chronometer, McCabe No. 448, was exhibited at Aspreys, Exhibition of marine Chronometers, 1972, exhibit no. 45, sold with it's original invoice dated 1856.
The present chronometer is of an even grander design to No. 448, the engraving is of McCabe's best quality and the decoration virtually stands proud of the background. A carriage clock by McCabe with similar engraving is illustrated in Carriage and other travelling clocks by Derek Roberts, 1993, fig. 20-16 a,b,c & d.
The chronometer was presumably made to order as a diplomatic gift and used to curry favour with the Maharaja of Kashmir.

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