Accession No
2550
Brief Description
chronometer, in gimbal and fitted box, by Victor Kullberg, English, 1893 (c)
Origin
England; London; Islington; 105 Liverpool Road
Maker
Kullberg, Victor
Class
navigation; horology
Earliest Date
1893
Latest Date
1893
Inscription Date
Material
metal (brass, silver); glass; wood (mahogany); ivory; hide (leather)
Dimensions
box closed: height 192mm, width 183mm, depth 183mm; chronometer diameter 145mm; box open: 280mm height, 180mm width, 280mm depth
Special Collection
Provenance
Donated by Imperial College (Electrical Engineering Department), London, England, 1980. Returned to owner (Imperial College), ‘ex loan’, by HM Chronometer Department, Bradford-on-Avon, England, 6/11/1946.
Inscription
‘VICTOR KULLBERG,
Maker to the Admiralty.
THE INDIAN & ITALIAN GOVERNMENTS
105 Liverpool Rd London N’ (on dial)
‘4610’ (on dial)
‘VICTOR KULLBERG, 105 Liverpool Rd
Islington LONDON No 4610’ (on box)
Description Notes
Chronometer, in gimbal and fitted box, by Victor Kullberg, English, c. 1893.
2-day marine chronometer. Movement with spotted plates, reversed fusee, Earnshaw’s spring detent escapement, compensation balance, oversprung with palladium balance spring with terminal curves. Gimballed in mahogany box with glazed cover. Winding key. Silvered dial with subsidiary seconds and up and down indicator. Glazed bezel. Rating certificates (one from Kullberg, 1903) in file.
Box with brass handles and leather strap. Ivory plaque with makers details on front of lid of wooden box.
Condition: good.
References
Katie Taylor; 'Identifying stars at sea'; Explore Whipple Collections online article; Whipple Museum of the History of Science; University of Cambridge; 2009: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/globes/identifying-stars-sea
Events
Description
Chronometers are very accurate clocks which were taken on board ship as a means to find longitude. A ‘Two Day’ chronometer is one that must be wound every two days.
The chronometer is set to show time at the port of departure, and during the voyage is compared with the ship’s local time as given by the sun. The earth rotates around its axis – 360° in longitude – every 24 hours, or 15° every hour. Thus a difference of four minutes between the time shown by the chronometer and local time by the sun is equal to a change of 1° of longitude.
This chronometer was made by Victor Kullberg (1824-1890), a Swedish craftsman working in London. He was noted as a manufacturer of very fine watches and prize-winning marine chronometers.
04/08/2008
Created by: Dr Anita McConnell on 04/08/2008
FM:39661
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