Marine Chronometer by John Roger Arnold, No. 297
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1802
This marine chronometer, numbered 297, was made in London circa 1802 by John Roger Arnold. The instrument is mounted in a gimballed mahogany box with brass hardware and green baize lining.
It features a silvered three-inch dial displaying a central minute hand alongside subsidiary dials for hours and seconds, signed 'Arnold, London 297'. According to the Science Museum Group, the one-day duration movement incorporates Arnold's spring detent escapement and a Z-balance, signed 'John R. Arnold London Invt. et Fecit No. 297'. Preserved in the Clockmakers' Museum collection, the upper box lid contains an observation glass with a slide shutter and a trade label from Brockbank & Atkins.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Box marine chronometer
- Maker
- John Roger Arnold
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Movement Duration
- One-day duration
- Overall Dimensions
- 184 mm x 190 mm x 173 mm
- Maker / attribution
- John Roger Arnold
- Escapement and Balance
- Arnold's spring detent escapement and Z-balance
- Dial Signature and Number
- Arnold, London 297
Design
- Visible features
- • Housed in a square mahogany box with brass drop carrying handles and green baize lining along the inner top edge. • Suspended in a brass gimbal ring within a brass bowl casing. • Silvered dial with a central minute hand, upper subsidiary hour dial with Roman numerals, and lower subsidiary seconds dial with Arabic numerals. • Signed in cursive script across the center of the dial: 'Arnold, London 297'. • Paper trade label on the inner lid reads: 'BROCKBANK & ATKINS, CHRONOMETER MAKERS... No. 6, COWPER'S COURT, CORNHILL, London.' • Small rectangular label on the inner lid handwritten with 'Arnold 297'.
- Case and Mounting
- The chronometer is housed within a square mahogany box fitted with brass hardware, including side drop carrying handles, and features green baize lining along the inner top edge. The instrument is suspended in a brass gimbal ring within an inner brass bowl casing. According to the Science Museum Group record, the mahogany housing is gimballed and includes a slide shutter at the top. Affixed to the inner lid are two paper labels: a trade label printed for chronometer makers Brockbank & Atkins of No. 6, Cowper's Court, Cornhill, London, and a smaller rectangular handwritten label reading 'Arnold 297'.
- Dial Configuration
- The instrument features a 3-inch silvered dial signed across the center in cursive script 'Arnold, London 297'. The layout incorporates a central minute hand operating alongside distinct subsidiary displays. Visual observation and catalogue descriptions note an upper subsidiary dial indicating hours with Roman numerals and a lower subsidiary dial indicating running seconds with Arabic numerals.
- Attribution and Institutional Provenance
- While the museum record header lists the maker as John Arnold, the catalogue text and movement inscription designate the maker as John Roger Arnold, dating the instrument to circa 1802. The chronometer was bequeathed in 1898 to the museum of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers by Samuel Elliott Atkins (recorded in the text as 'Samuel Elliott Aktins'). It holds Clockmakers' Museum No. 612 and Science Museum Group object number L2015-3492.
- Reported Movement and Technical Specification
- The internal mechanism is not visible in the provided photograph. The museum record states that the movement possesses a one-day duration and is fitted with Arnold's spring detent escapement and a Z-balance. The movement is recorded as signed 'John R. Arnold London Invt. et Fecit No. 297'. Overall dimensions are listed as 184 mm by 190 mm by 173 mm, with an accompanying winding key measuring 69 mm by 31 mm by 7 mm.
Identification
- Object Number
- L2015-3492
- Serial number
- 297
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The internal movement, spring detent escapement, Z-balance, and movement signature are not visible in the photograph and rely on source documentation.
- Research required: Science Museum metadata lists the maker as John Arnold in the title and metadata, but the catalogue description and movement signature identify John Roger Arnold.