An eight-day mahogany astronomical regulator by Molyneux, London

The movement bears unused holes in the rectangular plates indicating that it formerly had a striking train. All four wheels have curved crossings and are driven by a cylindrical black-painted weight suspended from a 16 turn barrel fitted with Harrison’s maintaining power. The deadbeat escapement is unjewelled and has a steel pallet frame with long shank. The wood rod pendulum has a lenticular bob with silvered rating nut and fine regulation tray; it is suspended from a double footed back cock by a pivoted suspension block. Under the dial there a cocked hour wheel which pivots in the backplate.

The 350mm circular dial is painted over the original silvered and engraved plate. There is a large circular cut-out for observation and adjustment of electrical contacts which are now absent. The chapters are laid out in typical regulator fashion with a 24 hour circle. The counterpoised seconds hand, spade tipped hour hand and minute pointer are all of blued-steel.

The case has a flat-topped hood with quartered veneers to the glazed door and bevelled glasses to the side apertures. The trunk has a rectangular door with small rectangular viewing aperture to the lower section of the door. The case was formerly wall-mounted and been furnished with a new base.

Robert Molyneux, a pupil of Thomas Earnshaw, had a business in London from circa 1800-40. He was an excellent maker of chronometers, winning the top prize of £200 at the 1832 Premium Trials. In 1840 he was granted a patent for his auxiliary compensation which corrected middle temperature error. Interestingly, a contemporary chronometer maker, John Sweetman Eiffe, simultaneously developed a similar device for correcting middle temperature error.