£1,700
Heliochronometer- An early 20th century brass heliochronometer with rotating dials. No makers mark. The current lot is made to a design patented by George James Gibbs on 14th February 1907 in response to general demand for a method of setting clocks to Greenwich Mean Time (which had been adopted by the UK by Act of Parliament in 1880). In order to be able to realise the potential of his invention Gibbs entered into partnership with William Renard Pilkington to manufacture the heliochronometer primarily for retail by leading scientific instrument suppliers such as Negretti and Zambra. The firm produced the instrument from 1907 until 1914 when it is thought production ceased due to the outbreak of WWI. Key to the instrument s operation is the incorporation of a shaped cam to adjust the foresight to compensate for the difference in solar and mean time. When properly set up the instrument will provide readings accurate to the nearest minute.
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