A Fine English Deck Watch of Phillips, London

A Fine English Deck Watch of Phillips, London

A deck watch is a precision instrument used at sea in conjuction with a sextant to determine longitude, it being set to the ship's chronometer immediately prior to use. Accompanying this particular example is a copy from the ledger held at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, stating that this watch was bought in 1911 and was used right up until 1936, including service upon HMS Vulcan.

This watch comes in its original mahogany two tier keep box with a bone roundel to the top engraved PHILLIPS 1907 C.W. (Chronometer Watch). Inside the box the watch is secured in a round, lacquered brass case with screwed down bezel and can be wound and set without being removed. The watch itself is in a plain, silver case with a Ministry of Defence arrow to the hinged back. There is no glass or bow, thus preventing the watch from being worn in the pocket which would alter its positional rate. The dial is of white enamel with black Roman hour numerals, an outer minutes chapter, offset seconds at VI and has blued steel 'spade' hands, being signed to the centre, PHILLIPS 4 FINSBURY PAVEMENT 11907 MOORGATE LONDON E.C. The movement is a typical high quality English movement of the period, having a gilt, three quarter plate, blued screws, English lever escapement, a split, bi-metallic, temperature compensated balance with gold timing screws and a blued steel, freesprung hairspring with ovecoil, being signed to the top plate: PHILLIPS 4 FINSBURY PAVEMENT NO. 1907.