The Marine Chronometers at Greenwich is the fifth, and largest, of the distinguished series of catalogues of instruments in the collections of the National Maritime Museum. Housed at the Royal Observatory Greenwich — the 'home of time' and the Prime Meridian of the world — this extraordinary collection, which includes the celebrated marine timekeepers by John Harrison (1693-1776), is generally considered to be the finest of its kind in existence. The book is however much more than just a catalogue, and includes an accessible and engaging history of the chronometer, revealing why these instruments were important in our scientific and cultural history, and explaining, in simple terms, how they worked and were used. A comprehensive Glossary and Bibliography are included to ensure any technicalities are explained and that the reader has suggestions for useful 'further reading'. Over 480 photographs and illustrations, including many fine macro-photographs and line drawings, illustrate the 'jewel-like' beauty of the chronometer's construction and explain the function and subtleties of its mechanism. A chapter on 'How the Chronometer was Made', describes the fine sub-division of labour used to create these special machines, from bare metal, right up to delivery on board ship, and brief biographies of the makers tell the human story behind this important nineteenth-century industry. Another chapter, 'The Evolution of the Chronometer', aimed at collectors, historians and curators, provides clearly structured information on assessing and dating the chronometer, something many find difficult. And, for the dedicated specialist, there is extensive tabulated data on the technical structure of this important collection, a unique resource for future research.

John Harrison and the Quest for Longitude, in a revised and updated edition, is a fascinating account of the life and achievements of John Harrison, the man who designed and built the first accurate marine chronometers. Inspired by the prize offered in 1714 to provide a solution to the problem of determining longitudinal position at sea, John Harrison - a carpenter by trade - set out to develop portable clocks that would rival even the most precise watches of the time. His famous 'H' timepieces went on to revolutionise sea travel and save many thousands of lives. Now housed in the collection of Royal Observatory Greenwich, they are milestones in clock- making history. Beautifully illustrated with images that showcase the intricate detail and mechanisms of the timepieces,John Harrison and the Quest for Longitudetells the story of one man driven by the need to solve one of the greatest practical problems of his time.

The history of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich has been revised to coincide with the Millenium. Color illustrations and updated text tell the story of Greenwich from its foundations in 1676 to its present status as Longitude 0°, the world's Prime Meridian for measuring longitude and time. The book covers the importance of longitude for navigation and traces the history of Greenwich Time, the basis of universal time-keeping. The book is co-published with the National Maritime Museum, where Derek Howse was the former Head of Navigation and Astronomy.

The dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of one man's forty-year obsession to find a solution to the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day--"the longitude problem." Anyone alive in the eighteenth century would have known that "the longitude problem" was the thorniest scientific dilemma of the day-and had been for centuries. Lacking the ability to measure their longitude, sailors throughout the great ages of exploration had been literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Thousands of lives and the increasing fortunes of nations hung on a resolution. One man, John Harrison, in complete opposition to the scientific community, dared to imagine a mechanical solution-a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had ever been able to do on land. Longitude is the dramatic human story of an epic scientific quest and of Harrison's forty-year obsession with building his perfect timekeeper, known today as the chronometer. Full of heroism and chicanery, it is also a fascinating brief history of astronomy, navigation, and clockmaking, and opens a new window on our world.

This antiquarian book contains a detailed account of the history of marine and pocket chronometer, with information on notable designers and manufactures, popularity, evolution, and much more. This fascinating and easy-to-digest treatise will appeal to those with a keen interest in the history and development of clocks and watches, and it would make for a worthy addition to collections of related literature. The chapters of this volume include: A history of clocks and watches, History of the chronometer, Pocket chronometer, Marine chronometers. Many antiquarian books such as this are increasingly rare and expensive, and it is with this in mind that we are republishing this vintage text now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on the history of clocks and watches.