T.S. & J.D. Negus, New York, No. 780

Circa 1870

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185mm. square box

A fine American walnut two-day marine chronometer. DIAL The 90mm. silvered dial is signed T.S. & J.D. NEGUS new York no. 780 within the Roman and Arabic chapter ring with gold spade hands. The two subsidiary dials are for UP/DOWN calibrated 0-56 with gold hand, and seconds with blued steel hand. MOVEMENT The movement has a reversed fusee and spring barrel, the Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement has a jewelled locking stone and cut bimetallic balance with circular heat compensation weights and blued steel helical balance spring, the pillar plate with stamped 780 BOX The box retains the original lid inset with a vacant brass cartouche, brass drop handles to the sides, the brass bowl is punch-numbered 780 to the inside and the base is fitted with a spring-loaded winding cover. T.S. & J.D. Negus Thomas Stewart Negus and his brother John David Negus were based in Wall Street and Pearl Street, New York, NY; They trained in England and began business in 1848 buying in movements by Johannsen, Mercer and Kullberg. At the Washington Observatory Trials of 1886 where 47 pieces were tested, 12 were recommended for purchase � of which 8 were by Negus, 3 by Bliss and one by William Bond & Son. At the time the U.S. Navy were paying �70 for the top chronometers and �60 for the rest. The company was bought by Max Low in 1962.