A FINE SHIP'S BELL BULKHEAD CLOCK INCORPORATING THE SEQUENCE...

Hammer

£2,600

A FINE SHIP'S BELL BULKHEAD CLOCK INCORPORATING THE SEQUENCE FOR THE 'DOG WATCHES' BY J.R. LOSADA, LONDON, CIRCA 1870

the 8in. silvered dial signed J.R. Losada / 105 Regent St. / LONDON. Roman hour numerals, oxidised brass spade hands, subsidiary seconds dial, strike-silent and slow-fast levers to top, twin winding arbors to robust four pillar frame containing double fusée movement to both striking and going trains, platform escapement with English lever format escape wheel, two hammers and silvered gong, contained in a large brass bulkhead case with bevelled glass face plate and perforated back, the case – 11½ x 6½in. (29 x 16.5cm.)

Before the introduction of mechanical timekeepers, time onboard ship was measured using a '30 minute' sand glass. Starting at the beginning of each watch it was the duty of the helmsman or quartermaster to reverse this glass every thirty minutes immediately the sand had run through the top-half to the bottom-half, and on each occasion he did this he would strike on the ship's bell the number of times he had turned the glass, giving double strokes for whole hours followed by a single stroke for the last half. To ensure the watch keepers shared equal duties throughout the night, the ‘dog watch’ was introduced to run two compressed watches of two hours duration each between 4.00pm and 8.00pm which progressed the sequence, after which the regular watch pattern resumed. 'Ship's Bell' clocks which only repeat the striking sequence for every four hour period starting from midnight are not uncommon, but it is particularly rare to have a clock which takes care of the 'Dog Watch' sequence - care should be taken however to ensure the sequence begins in the PM and not AM. Jose R. de Losada worked in London between 1839-1881 and is listed as ‘By appointment to several courts.’

Movement sticky; strike chain running at the time of cataloguing, but prone to arrest when lying flat, will need cleaning. The strike/silent lever does not appear work (insofar as it strikes when in the ‘silent’ position); screws securing dial to case missing.