Classic Decorating Style

Open-sea travel required precise timekeeping for a ship and its crew. Accurate timekeeping was required to calculate the sun's position relative to the ship as it sailed through time zones. Correct time zone changes are managed by the precisely accurate timekeeping abilities of the nautical clock. Correct clocks were crucial to calculating longitude, and this is where the nautical clock came into the picture.

The government of England put forth a search to find a clockmaker capable of building such a clock. Scientists as prolific as Newton doubted such a clock could be made. In 1736, John Harrison took his prototype nautical clock on a voyage from London to Lisbon, wherein the clock proved its worth on the sea. Harrison was granted five hundred pounds to pursue further perfection of the device, and eventually created a nautical pocket watch. Five hundred pounds was granted to Harrison to pursue the perfection of his clock, and he eventually made a pocket version. A copy of Harrison's clock was later used by Captain Cook in his journey to the Pacific. At first, such clocks were far too expensive for the average person, but prices gradually dropped.

Harrison died without ever being fully compensated for his invention. Harrison suffered amongst his peers, being ridiculed and discredited. The English government never paid him their promised amount, although they granted him lump sums to continue his research. History books don't expound on the invention of the nautical clock, which is considered to be one of the most prolific inventions of our time, alongside things such as electricity and the telephone. Much of this is due to the Board of Nautical Sciences disclaiming Harrison's invention when it first came out, an action that has had a lasting effect to this day. Copying the blueprints of Harrison's clock, other companies began to create other slightly varied versions. Due to the fact he filed a patent nearly a decade before, Harrison received his well-earned share, despite the proliferation of many copies of his invention. Unfortunately, Harrison's reputation was damaged for a significant period of time after the success of his version of the nautical clock.

Clocks of the early days were thrown off by a ship's momentum, and creating such a clock was demanding. Due to inaccurate calculations, many ships were lost at sea, and determining longitude was of utmost importance. Designed to endure the rough treatment of the sea, nautical clocks were resistant to motion. A 'maintaining power' was required in place of a winding clock, and this contributed to most of the problem. Coiled springs replaced the pendulum of the clock, and therefore the device didn't need a flat surface to keep operating. A negligible loss of a few seconds each month allowed these clocks to be very accurate. Sealed inside, nautical clocks resisted temperature and moisture changes. Metal resisted the corrosion of sea salt, and was preferred in making nautical clocks. Commonly, thermometers and barometers were included in nautical clock faces, as they provided extra instruments in a compact casing.

With modern advances of GPS, nautical clocks are now viewed as historical art pieces in place of tools. Nautical clocks of today are modeled after seafaring themes such as birds, boats, or sea life. Over six million pounds can be fetched for a Harrison original clock, though most are in museums.