Object Description
A Fine Two Day Marine Chronometer By Dent, London No.58553
Two day marine chronometer by Dent housed in a beautiful three tier mahogany brass bound box with inset carrying handles to the sides, inset plaque to the front carrying the Dent trademark and numbered 58553 below a brass push button knob opening to a third tier. The box has a wonderful rich patina and retains it’s original solid brass Tipsy key.
The movement is housed within a gimballed brass surround.
The high quality 56 hour chain fusee movement has full brass plates joined by four ringed pillars, an Earnshaw-type sprung detent escapement with maintaining power, split bi-metallic balance and cylindrical shaped temperature compensation weights, polished steel helical balance and faceted endstone.
The silvered dial with Roman numerals and original hands carrying the trademark for Dent and signed Dent, maker to the King, 61 Strand & 4 Royal Exchange, London number 58553with subsidiary dial below XII for ‘state of wind’ and subsidiary seconds dial above the VI, c.1915
This Chronometer is most remarkable as it still retains the original trade label from Dent to the inside lid of the top tier.
One of the most celebrated of all 19th century chronometer and precision clockmakers, Edward John Dent ( 1790 – 1853) made a highly important contribution to the history of precision timekeeping. After three years training under his grandfather as a tallow chandler, Dent became interested in watchmaking through his cousin, the watchmaker Richard Rippon ( whose widow Dent would marry in later years). He then had his apprenticeship transferred to the watchmaker Edward Gaudin in 1807.
Dent then set up in business on his own account as a watch, chronometer and clockmaker in 1814, submitting chronometers to the Greenwich Trials from 1826, winning the first premium award in 1829 and being employed by the observatory for chronometer repairs during the late 1820’s.
During the 1840’s Dent consolidated his relationship with the Astronomer Royal and the Royal Observatory. Dent went on to expand his business, having no fewer than three London premises and founding a turret clock manufactory which would build one of the most famous clocks in the world, the great clock at Westminster, familiarly known as ‘Big Ben’.
The firm continued in business for many years winning many prestigious awards across the world, finally closing it’s door in the 1970’s.