This chronometer was issued by the National Maritime Historical Society to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the legendary Cutty Sark tea clipper.
The Cutty Sark is one of the last of the great British clipper ships built to race across the globe from China to London for the tea trade in 1869, before the opening of the Suez Canal created a much shorter route. Cutty Sark went from the tea trade to trading in wool from Sydney to London where she held the record time to Britain for ten years.
This is an authentic, fully functional, re-creation of a 19th-century horological instrument. It is crafted with a precision quartz movement encased in a housing of die-cast metals plated with 24 karat gold. It bears a compass rose and stylized numerals on its face, is flanked by three handcrafted pewter dolphins, coated in gold, and is mounted on adjustable gimbals.
This model was made in 1997 for the National Maritime Historical Society by the Franklin Mint. This item is in good vintage condition, but it's certificate of authenticity has been lost to time. It spent it's formidable years on the coast, so it's vintage charm includes some spotting on the instrument face and a dulled finish. This piece is guaranteed authentic as are all items in our store.
Dimensions with Base: Height 4 and 3/4 inches, Diameter 6 and 3/8 inches