H3

Marine timekeeper, H3. Started in 1740, this third timekeeper took Harrison nearly 19 years to build and adjust, although it was not to win him the great longitude prize: he found that he just could not persuade the two large, heavy, circular balances to keep time well enough. Nevertheless, H3 incorporates two extremely important inventions, both relevant today: the bimetallic strip (still in use worldwide in thermostats of all kinds) and the caged roller bearing, a device found in nearly all modern mechanical engineering. See also; ZAA0034 (H1), ZAA0035 (H2) and ZAA0037 (H4).

Object Details

ID: ZAA0036
Collection: Timekeeping
Type: Marine timekeeper
Display location: Display - ROG
Creator: Harrison, John
Places: Greenwich
Date made: 1757; 1759
Exhibition: Time and Longitude; Ships, Clocks & Stars: The Quest for Longitude
People: Royal Greenwich Observatory
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall display height: 622 mm
Parts: H3