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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Marine chronometer · Box marine chronometer

Charles Frodsham 8-Day Marine Chronometer

Partially verified

This English eight-day marine chronometer by Charles Frodsham dates to circa 1884. Sourced auction documentation states that the instrument was manufactured for Frodsham by Viktor Kullberg (workshop number K 4106) and bears movement and case serial number 0019. The chronometer is mounted in brass gimbals within a brass-bound mahogany box featuring screwed brass drop handles. The silvered dial is signed 'Charles Frodsham, 84 Strand London, No. 0019' with inlaid Roman numerals, an oversized subsidiary seconds register, an 8-day power reserve indicator, and blued hands. The source describes the movement as a 3/4 plate calibre with chain and fusee, Arnold-type spring detent escapement, and a bimetallic Z-balance.

Charles Frodsham 8-day marine chronometer No. 0019 housed in its gimbaled mahogany box
Charles Frodsham 8-day marine chronometer No. 0019 housed in its gimbaled mahogany box — Auktionen Dr. Crott. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.invaluable.com
Category
Marine chronometer · Box marine chronometer
Maker / attribution
Charles Frodsham
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
179
Source-reported date
circa 1884
Country
United Kingdom
Source-reported serial
0019

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Object Identification and Provenance

This marine chronometer is attributed to the maker Charles Frodsham, identified by serial number 0019 on both the movement and the case. The instrument is dated in the source to circa 1884.

Auction documentation identifies the maker as Viktor Kullberg (workshop number K 4106) for Charles Frodsham. A reference to the instrument is noted in the work 'The Frodshams – The Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers' by Vaudrey Mercer (1981).

Evidence for this section
  • “Movm. No. 0019, Case No. 0019”
  • “circa 1884”
  • “made by Viktor Kullberg (No. K 4106) for Frodsham in 1884”
  • “It is mentioned in "The Frodshams – The Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers" by Vaudrey Mercer”

Construction and Exterior

The chronometer is enclosed in a mahogany box featuring screwed brass handles and an inlaid bone shield. The source text provides conflicting descriptions regarding the box structure, referring to it as both a 'three-part' and a 'large, two-part' transport case.

The chronometer bowl is mounted in brass gimbals. The viewing area is enclosed by a glass rim secured with a bayonet lock.

Evidence for this section
  • “Three-part mahogany box”
  • “large, two-part transport case”
  • “inlaid bone shield”
  • “screwed on handles”
  • “brass gimbals and bowl, glass rim with bayonet lock”

Dial and Mechanism

The silvered dial bears the signature 'Charles Frodsham, 84 Strand London, No. 0019' and features Roman numerals with blued spade hands. Functional elements include an 8-day power reserve indicator and an oversized auxiliary seconds register.

The 3/4 plate movement includes a chain and fusee, a spring detent escapement according to John Arnold, and a bimetallic Z-chronometer balance with two screws and two weights. The balance is free-sprung with a blued helical balance spring.

Evidence for this section
  • “Silvered, signed "Charles Frodsham, 84 Strand London, No. 0019"”
  • “3/4 plate movement”
  • “spring detent escapement according to John Arnold”
  • “bimetallic Z-chronometer balance with 2 screws and 2 weights”

Open research questions

  • Clarification on the box construction: is it two-part or three-part?
  • Verification of the material composition of the inlaid shield.

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Charles Frodsham 8-Day Marine Chronometer
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Movement Number0019“Movm. No. 0019”
Case Number0019“Case No. 0019”
Dial SignatureCharles Frodsham, 84 Strand London, No. 0019“signed "Charles Frodsham, 84 Strand London, No. 0019"”
Maker AttributionViktor Kullberg for Frodsham“this marine chronometer was made by Viktor Kullberg (No. K 4106) for Frodsham in 1884.”
EscapementSpring detent escapement according to John Arnold“spring detent escapement according to John Arnold”
Dimensions27 x 340 x 280 mm“Dimensions 27 x 340 x 280 mm”

Visible details

  • Chronometer bowl mounted in brass gimbals within a brass-bound wooden box
  • Gimbaled bowl fitted beneath a protective glazed bezel
  • Silvered dial displays Roman numeral hour markers, an upper winding indicator, and an oversized lower subsidiary seconds dial
  • Circular printed or engraved maker shield inlaid inside the hinged lid section
  • Heavy brass carrying handle attached to the side of the mahogany box

Research qualifications

  • The internal 3/4 plate movement and escapement details are reported by the auction catalogue and cannot be verified from the exterior photograph.
  • The catalog text refers both to a 'two-part transport case' and a 'Three-part mahogany box'.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

At Auction: Charles Frodsham - 8 Day Chronometer

Reviewed 2026-10-25 · Record 521f0ab213

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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