Beschreibung:

A mahogany cased two-day marine chronometer Kelvin, White & Hutton, London, early 20th century The circular four pillar chain fusee movement probably supplied by A. Johannsen and Company with Harrison's maintaining power, Earnshaw type spring detent escapement and split bimetallic balance with cylindrical compensating weights and helical palladium balance spring, the spotted backplate with spring set-up ratchet and blued-steel pillar and backcock securing screws, the reverse of the frontplate stamped 10771, the 4 inch circular silvered Arabic numeral dial with subsidiary seconds dial engraved with M.O.D. arrow device and numbered 5469 beneath signature Kelvin, White & Hutton, 11 Billiter St., London and state of wind dial annotated DOWN/UP to centre, secured by a screw-down bezel into a lacquered brass bowl with repeat number 10771 to inside and shuttered winding hole to rear, mounted via gimbals into a mahogany two tier box with bevel-glazed panel to lid above front applied with rectangular ivorine trade plate with repeat serial number, the sides with lacquered brass carrying handles, 18cm (7ins) wide. Kelvin,White and Hutton were chronometer and nautical instrument makers working both from 11 Billiter Street, London and 16, 18 and 20 Cambridge Street Glasgow from the late 19th century up to around 1925. A repair label for Motion Smith and Son, Singapore, dated February 1940 is pasted to the inside of the upper tier of the current lot. Records held at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich indicate that the current lot was onboard H.M.S. Bulan prior to 25th July 1943. The ss Bulan was a merchant ship built for P&O's Malayan feeder services in 1924 and taken up by the Royal Navy for the Malayan Auxilliary Fleet in September 1939. She was at Singapore in December 1941 when the Japanese attacked and rescued survivors from the ss Pina which was sunk by dive bombers as well as a Hurricane pilot who crash-landed into the sea. On the 11th February 1942 she left Singapore with refugees bound for Batavia, although she was bombed enroute in the Banka Strait, and stopped to take onboard survivors from the stricken Dutch fuel tankers Manvantarra and Merula, she safely arrived in Batavia on 15th February; the same day that Singapore fell to the Japanese. After the war the current lot was issued (28th May 1948) to the recently commissioned C class destroyer HMS Crispin before returning to Rosyth on the 5th October 1949. The chronometer was eventually taken off charge 29th June 1970. IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING THE CATALOGUING OF CLOCKS Movements, dials and cases: movements and dials are described as relating to the cases in which they are housed in one of the following three ways: the case.... we are of the opinion that the movement and dial started life in the current case. in a case... we are of the opinion that the movement and dial are in a case of correct period and type (and may well be original to the movement and dial), however there is evidence to suggest that they may not have started out life together. now in a case... we are of the opinion that the movement and dial are no longer in the original case or one of correct period and/or type. Pendulums, weights, winding and case keys: we cannot guarantee that the correct number of weights (where appropriate) and/or keys are present with the clock, nor do we indicate in the catalogue description whether weights or keys are present as many clocks are consigned without them. Please check with the department to establish whether they are present or not prior to bidding. Condition: due to the mechanical nature of clocks and the fact that most are of great age we cannot offer any guarantee as to whether they are in working order or free from major faults or restoration. Although we endeavour to catalogue items in a fair and informed manner, omission of any comments or observations regarding the condition or originality of a clock in the description does not necessarily indicate that it is free fr