Accession No

5612

Brief Description

5-inch refracting telescope on an equatorial stand, with clockwork drive, ‘Royal Century’ model, by W. Watson & Son, English, c. 1908

Origin

London; England

Maker

W. Watson & Sons Ltd

Class

astronomy; optical

Earliest Date

1908

Latest Date

1908

Inscription Date

Material

wood (oak); metal (brass, iron); glass

Dimensions

very roughly height 2200mm; length 1600mm; width 1300mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Trevor Philip & Sons, 75a Jermyn Street, St James, London, England on 01/07/1999. Purchased with grant aid from PRISM fund administered by the Science Museum.

Inscription

‘W. WATSON & SONS LTD.
LONDON’ (engraved in two places on brass mechanism)
‘“ROYAL CENTURY”
2243
W. WATSON & SONS LTD
LONDON’ (engraved on telescope barrel)

Description Notes

5-inch refracting telescope on an equatorial stand, with clockwork drive, ‘Royal Century’ model, by W. Watson & Son, English, c. 1908

“Royal century 2243” model. Oak tripod with metal protecting the ends of the legs and a brace 2/3 of the way up to govern the extent to which it can open. At the top of the tripod is an iron ring to which is screwed a massive black painted iron column supporting at it’s base and top a weight-driven clockwork system to adjust the angle of the telescope Brass 5-inch refracting telescope. Five black painted iron weights; spare eyepieces.

From Watson’s catalogue (see history file): The equatorial head:
The declination axis is provided with a clamp and slow motion. The polar axis is fitted with a clamp and endless screw slow movement, worked by means of a Hooke’s joint and a long wooden handle, rendering it controllable from the eyepiece end.
... if a clock should at any time be added to the equatorial, no alteration is necessary, the drive being connected up to this circle.
...5-inch telescope-- Declination circle 8 inches diameter, reading up to 20 seconds. Hour circle 6 1/2 inches diameter, reading up to 5 seconds. The hour circle has two verniers and a rackwork for setting.
...In addition a scale of latitude degrees is engraved on the adjustment arc enabling an unskilled person to set it with full accuracy.
...A platform support for the clock is case as a portion of the base of the Equatorial
... The oak tripod is of very massive construction, exceedingly strongly built, has a bratticed centre, and has on its upper surface a levelling plate with push and pull adjusting screws.

References

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