Inspired by the English sea-going timepieces of the past, British watchmaker Bremont has created a modern version of the hand-wound ship’s chronometer.

‘Chronometer’, in this case, is used in the traditional sense: an extraordinarily accurate ship’s clock, mounted on gimbals, and accurate to just fractions of a second over many days at sea, used for calculating the vessel’s longitude (which is achieved by measuring the difference between Greenwich Mean Time and midday where the ship lies).

An inaccuracy of only a second at the Equator will lead to a 463-metre error in position – a minute out, and that distance grows to nearly 28 kilometres. English clockmaking 300 years ago, led by the famous John Harrison timepieces, was at the forefront of accurate timekeeping, ultimately saving 1000s of lives at sea and helping expand the British Empire.

At 300mm diameter, and weighing 16kg, it’s a little large for the average football manager’s wrist.

The exquisitely detailed clock is suitable for mounting on board, in a superyacht’s wheelhouse, or on a director's boardroom wall. Fully wound, it will run for at least 40 days, telling the time at home, locally, and also measuring the duration of any trip up to 90 days.

Water resistant, the B1 also has a power reserve indicator, ensuring the movement can be kept fully wound. The handmade B1 will be built in very limited numbers, can be customised on request, and production is unlikely to exceed one a month. Price on application.

For further information, see www.bremont.com.

Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: Bremont