Maritime clocks, also called nautical clocks and marine chronometers, were the most accurate clocks of their day. They had to be because seamen used them for navigation purposes. Longitude cannot be set unless there is an accurate source of timekeeping. Their use has now been superceded by atomic clocks, which are infinitely more accurate, but the popularity of maritime clocks lives on because they are simply so attractive.
The Maritime Clock Lives On
They are so popular that the best modern clockmakers, such as Ridgeway and Howard Miller Clocks, produce modern reproductions of original designs. They are generally not too large in size, and though they're nearly always made of brass, they are inexpensive when compared to other types of collectible clocks, such as carriage clocks or grandfather clocks.
The Link With Pendulum Clocks
Christian Huygens, the inventor of the pendulum clock, was also the person who attempted to solve the problem of establishing longitude at sea by constructing a durable, accurate timepiece for purposes of marine navigation. He worked in collaboration with Alexander Bruce and between 1662 and 1665 Bruce organized and supervised sea trials of their invention. Originally, two clocks hung side-by-side were required for the job. This posed a solution to the obvious problems if one clock stopped or had to be cleaned. There is always safety in numbers!
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