TWO-DAY MARINE CHRONOMETER Parkinson & Frodsham Change Alley London No. 3196 Circa 1860 England

M&R159a

TWO-DAY MARINE CHRONOMETER
Signed: Parkinson & Frodsham Change Alley London No. 3196
Circa 1860
England

Movement
The movement is constructed between circular plates and has an Earnshaw spring-detent escapement with compensation balance and blued steel cylindrical balance spring. It is driven by a spring in a spring barrel via a chain fusee and it is wound from the rear.

Dial
The silvered dial has a chapter ring with Roman hour numerals, five-minute and minute divisions in a ring. Above the centre is a small ‘up/down’ dial 0-56 to indicate the power reserve. Below the centre is a seconds ring. It has Arabic numerals for every 10 seconds and strokes for the remaining seconds. The number 3196 is in the middle of this ring. All hands are made of blued steel. The makers signed the chronometer on the dial as follows: Parkinson & Frodsham Change Alley London. The dial is protected by a convex glass that is set in a screw-on bezel.

Case
The movement is housed in a brass bowl that is suspended in a three-tier mahogany box with brass gimballed fittings The case has two drop handles to the sides. In the upper right corner of the box is the winding key next to the movement. A transport screw is attached at the bottom right, with which the gimbal suspension can be locked. When the box is closed, the lid at the top can be lifted so that the dial is visible through a window without having to open the box. On the front of the middle tier is a bone cartouche with the number of the chronometer 3196. A brass plate has been inlaid on the top of the case for decoration.

Duration: two days
Dimensions: 16 x 15.5 x 15.5 cm.

Literature
T. Mercer, Chronometer Makers of the World, pp. 215 and 216.

The makers
Parkinson & Frodsham was a partnership between William Parkinson and William James Frodsham. The company was located at 4 Change Alley, Cornhill, London. It was founded in 1801 and existed until 1947. Both makers became members of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1802; W.J. Frodsham was Master of the Company in 1836 and 1837. Two of their chronometers were taken on the Northern Expedition in 1818 to find the North-West passage in the Pacific Ocean. Various chronometers were taken on other expeditions. Four of Frodsham’s ten children became apprentices in the business. The company also made watches, nautical instruments, deck watches and regulators. W.J Frodsham died in 1850, Parkinson in 1842.