The Harrowing Tale Of The Nautical Wall Clock

While traveling the open seas, a ship and its crew required precise timekeeping. Accurate timekeeping was required to calculate the sun’s position relative to the ship as it sailed through time zones. Nautical clocks were born of this lack, and are precisely accurate timekeeping pieces that allow for correct calculation of time zone changes. Correct clocks were crucial to calculating longitude, and this is where the nautical wall clock came into the picture. 
To find a clockmaker capable of making such a device, the government of England put forth a reward. Sir Isaac Newton was one of the many scientists who doubted it could be made. John Harrison took a prototype clock on a voyage from London to Lisbon in 1736, and the clock proved functional. The English government awarded him with five hundred pounds to refine the nautical wall clock, which led to the invention of a pocket nautical clock. A copy of Harrison’s clock was later used by Captain Cook in his journey to the Pacific. When offered to the masses, such clocks were very expensive, but prices eventually dropped.
Harrison was never paid in full for his progressive invention. Among his peers, Harrison was ridiculed and discredited. The English government never paid him their promised amount, although they granted him lump sums to continue his research. The invention of a reliable nautical clock was considered one of the greatest technological advances of the time, on par with electricity and the telephone. Today, the effect of the Board of Nautical Sciences’ disclaimer of Harrison’s invention crippled the recognition of the nautical clock. Other clock making companies quickly snatched up the nautical clock plans of Harrison, and began to create their own. Due to the fact he filed a patent nearly a decade before, Harrison received his well-earned share, despite the proliferation of many copies of his invention. His reputation, however, would be damaged for many years to come.
Creating an accurate seafaring timepiece was a tremendous task, as clocks of the early days where thrown off by the roiling waves and momentum of a boat. Due to inaccurate calculations, many ships were lost at sea, and determining longitude was of utmost importance. Designed to endure the rough treatment of the sea, nautical clocks were resistant to motion. A ‘maintaining power’ was required in place of a winding clock, and this contributed to most of the problem. Coiled springs in the place of the traditional pendulum allowed the clock to function on any sort of surface. A negligible loss of a few seconds each month allowed these clocks to be very accurate. To resist temperature and moisture changes, nautical clocks were sealed inside. Sea salt and the corrosion it brought favored building clocks with metal. Commonly, thermometers and barometers were included in nautical clock faces, as they provided extra instruments in a compact casing.  Many people now use these clocks in their home as tropical decor.
However, with the advent of GPS and other technology that aids navigation, nautical clocks are considered pieces of art rather than a requirement. Birds, boats, and other sea life decorate nautical clocks of today. Harrison’s original nautical chronometers are in museums, and are sold today for well over six million pounds.