A Scottish mahogany longcase observatory regulator

JAMES RITCHIE & SON, EDINBURGH; SECOND QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

Details

A Scottish mahogany longcase observatory regulator
James Ritchie & Son, Edinburgh; second quarter 19th century
The case with skirted rectangular plinth, glazed rectangular trunk door with lock to side, flat-top hood with gilt bezel to the 15 in. diam. black painted regulator dial signed Jas. Ritchie & Son, Edinburgh, the 24-hour ring with painted even numbers, all hands of aluminium, the substantial movement with rectangular plates secured with massive double-screwed pillars, Vulliamy-type jewelled deadbeat escapement, mantaining power, the electric contact system behind the dial with an additional 60-toothed wheel on the seconds arbor with jewelled contact on an arm running to a make-break system, large steel-rod pendulum suspended from the massive black painted iron movement block, the steel rod with weight tray and massive twin cylindrical weights terminating in a steel point beating against a silvered beat scale attached to the backboard; the inside of the trunk door with an old label typed Royal Observatory:INV. NO.:416 TRANS. B/FORD B/F INV. NO.22c, ASTRON. SEC. N/T TRANSIT. 6V DC.
6ft. 11./14 ins. 211½ cm. high

Lot Essay

The label pasted to the inside of the trunk door possibly refers to a longcase regulator recorded in 1909 at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh as ..the second mean time regulator with contacts for the clock and (time) ball on Carlton Hill
We are grateful to Johnathon Betts, Curator of Horology at the National Maritime Museum for his help in preparing this entry.

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