Until the mid-eighteenth century marine navigation was still a relatively inexact science, in large part due to the difficulty of calculating longitudinal positioning. Navigators were, of course, able to ascertain their latitudinal position through observation of the angle of the sun at noon. However, to determine longitude, a precise, portable time keeper was needed which would be un-effected by turbulence at sea. The chronometer was the solution to this problem – it provided the time of a fixed location (Greenwich for example) that would serve as a reference point for determining a ships longitudinal location. Chronometers epitomise much that is appealing about clocks, combining as they do - historical significance, mechanical complexity, inventive ingenuity and real aesthetic charm. We have a number of very fine chronometers in our collection that you can view below.