JOHN PARKES & SONS, NO.3917. CIRCA 1900

Details

A Victorian mahogany Royal Greenwich Observatory Two-Day Marine Chronometer
John Parkes & Sons, No.3917. Circa 1900
The silvered dial signed and numbered JOHN PARKES & SONS 11 St. George's Crescent, LIVERPOOL 3917,MAKERS TO THE ADMIRALTY, Roman hour numerals, gold hour and minute hands, subsidiary up-and-down and seconds dials with blue steel hands, the seconds dial inscribed 3917 and with the Government Mark, cut bimetallic balance with cylindrical heat compensation weights, blued steel helical balance spring, spring foot detent with jewelled locking stone, brass bowl and gimbal, in three-tier brass-bound mahogany box, the middle section inset with bone disc inscribed with the Government Mark and on the inside the issue label of H.M. CHRONOMETER DEPOT. BRADFORD-ON-AVON dated 8th July 1944, with flush recessed brass handles
105mm. dial diam. box 180mm.sq.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The frames of the movement, dial-plate and bowl are all numbered 3917.
By 1944 in World War II there was a very grave shortage of marine chronometers for issue to the Royal Navy. A public appeal for any chronometers was made by the Admiralty, which resulted in them being offered a limited number.

This chronometer was one such and was purchased from Royal Mail Lines on 4th April 1944. In June 1944 it was transfered to Montreal, Canada.
In 1948 it was transfered to Portsmouth Chart & Chronometer Depot, the R.G.O. records stating that it was 'ex R.F.A. Beauharnis'. In October 1964 it was taken off charge by the Royal Greenwich Observatory and sold to the scientific and nautical instrument makers Charles Frank Ltd of Glasgow, who were prolific purchasers of ex-Royal Observatory chronometers.

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