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).
For more information about using images from our Collection, please contact RMG Images.
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 |