NAUTICAL COMPASSES

A
AIRGUIDE
ASKANIA 		B
BARKER
BAUDUF
B.E.N.
BIANCHETTI
 C
CARAC
CASELLA
CHETWYND
CHINA
CLARKE, Clement
 D
D.C.
DUCHEMIN
DORBIGO 		E
F

 G H
HOULLIOT 		I J
K
KADLEC
KELVIN (HUGHES) 		L
LUDOLPH
 M
McGREGOR
MORIN		 N
NEGRETTI & ZAMBRA		 O
OBSERVATOR
P
Pelorus
PLASTIMO
PLATH		 Q R
ROUX
 S
SAURA
SESTREL
SIMMS
SUUNTO		 T
U V
VION		 W
WILKIE		 X - Y Z
............

- A -

AIRGUIDE

PROFILE - former U.S. manufacturer (more information HERE).
See also pocket and lapel and wrist compass.



(Click on the picture
for an enlarged view)

Pictures J. Houcke
 No. 92 Course Monitor (1958) - Technical Data
- Dimensions (height x diam. basis) : 5 x 4-1/2" (13  x 11 cm)
- Weight : c. 1  pound (500 gr)
- Serial no. of parts: P-4549 and P-4551
- Divisions: no divisions and cardinals but only the six letters (every 60 deg.) ABCXYZ. The Y points North.
The pointer's position can be adusted within +/-30°. The abbreviated axiis are engraved on the base rim: NS and EW for North-South and East-West in a 90 deg. angle. (Copies of description and advertisement available on request).
The normal compass was called NAUTILUS (no. 90).

NOTE: This item was meant to be used in addition to the normal compass. As soon as the boat was on course, the index pointer was set on the nearest letter representing thus a target easy to follow.
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ASKANIA

PROFILE - German manufacturer (more information HERE).
See also Wrist and Marching compasses



(Click on the pictures
for enlarged views)

Pictures Holger "beutelbuch*de"

PELORUS

Technical Data
- Dimensions (L x H): ca. 20 x 20
- Durchmesser Peilscheibe: 15 cm
- Gewicht: ?
- Manufacturer: Askania VEB (East -Germany) between 1948-1954
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- B -

BARKER (Francis BARKER & Son)

PROFILE - British Company
(more information HERE)



Catalogue for the year 1930

All photos courtesy Trade Mark London

Comment: This compass is a very rare item. It was made by Francis Barker during his apprenticeship when he was 15. His signature on the card underside and even his fingerprints on the balancing wax can be seen. Read the full story in TRADE MARK LONDON (see Links) 
Liquid and dry-card steering boat compasses in slide lid oak box - 1st half of 19th c.
Technical Data
- Bowl and rings: brass
- Point: steel or iridium
- Cap: sapphire or agate
- Diameter (card): 3 to 8 in.
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BAUDUF, J. Pierre

PROFILE - Former French compass maker located in Marseilles.



Picture courtesy Jaypee - Musée de la Marine, Marseille

Detail view

(Click for enlarged view)
 Technical Data
Built ca. mid 18th C.
- Divisions : rhumbs - see CARDINALS

B.E.N.

PROFILE - French company, Division of AMSYS



 Technical Data
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BIANCHETTI

PROFILE - Former French company created in 1826 and located in Marseille also known as Ateliers Julien. Partly taken over by BEN in 1962.



Picture Jaypee

Technical Data
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- C -

CASELLA

PROFILE - British manufacturer (more information HERE)



Picture Michael Curtis
(Click for full screen view - attention: long download time due to large size picture)
 Casella Catalogue (c. 1876)

Casella's catalogue showing two of the SHIPS' COMPASSES pages.
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CHETWYND

PROFILE - Captain Louis Wentworth Pakington Chetwynd (b. 15 December 1866, d. 18 April 1914, Coombe Neville, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey) was an important member of the British Admiralty at the beginning of the 20th C.
He patented several compass systems (see also Wrist compasses).



(Click on the pictures for enlarged views)

Technical data
..
Drawings at left: A. Schück, Der Kompass (1911)
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CHINE

PROFILE : Chinese compass, XIXth C. Description given by J. Klaproth in Lettre à M.le Baron A de Humboldt, p. ...):
"The 24 steering directions (Tcheou) consist of the twelve signs of the 12-signs-cycle, eight of the 10-signs-cycle* and four of the eight kwa".
* Note: Klaproth marked these with an asterisk (*) in the table below. The other two signs not used are Ki (?) and Wo (war) .



Picture Jaypee - Musée de la Marine, Paris
(Click for enlarged views)
 Technical Data
Dimensions
- Diameter: c.150mm
- Height: c. 100 mm
- Divisions : 24 Tcheou (see also MISCELLANEOUS/Cardinals and Chinese Tradition)

Table: the 24 Tcheou.
(Klaproth, Lettre à M. le Baron A. de Humboldt)
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CLARKE Clement

PROFILE - Clement Clarke was a famous British optician who built microscopes and various diagnostic equipment. The company was established in 1917 (Wigmore Street, London). Clarke signed Mark VI pocket compasses* probably manufactured by F. Barker & Son or some other compass maker like Dennison during WW1. In 1986 the group was acquired by Boots Plc and in 1989 was purchased by the Swiss based company Haag-Streit AG located in Berne.
* See www.compasscollector.com



(Click on picture for an enlarged view)
 Technical Data
Dimensions (approx.): 150 x 150 x 70 mm
Additional instruments: two levels, clinometer in the lid,
- Sight: two vertical tabs with a pin-hole each in the left and right case walls. A foldable two-piece telescope. CM ruler on the lower front case wall.

NOTE: This bearing compass is a (worthless) contemporary reproduction (see MISCELLANEOUS / Fakes). One can tell this by some details like the magnetic needle's bright red point and the green central jewel in the cap.  The clinometer's arrow point is also at least very unprecise.  It is highly improbable that Clarke ever produced such an antique 19th C. instrument.
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- D -

D.C.

PROFILE - (Dent & Co. or DORBIGO Co. ??).




(Picture courtesy Boreal-Arrow) 		 Technical Data
- Diameter:  mm
- Depth: mm
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DUCHEMIN

PROFILE - Emile Marin DUCHEMIN (who lived 11 rue de la Bienfaisance in Paris) developed and filed a patent in 1874 for this compass system that he called BOUSSOLE CIRCULAIRE (circular compass). This device was installed in ships for the trials at sea in the vessels described in the booklet (iss. 7, 1877, 47 p., photocopy available on demand). It is also listed in Schück's reference book Der Kompass.



(Click on the picture above for an enlarged view of the drawing)

Short description together with the drawing on the title page: "an external magnetized circle (A) is connected with an inner magnetized circle (B) by means of a bar (C) made of aluminum or another metal. The magnetization is maximum at the North and South points and diminishes gradually towards the EAST and WEST points (n-n line)."

Pict. at r.: The magnetic circular needle.

NOTE: A picture of the complete compass was published in the book "L'instrument de Marine" by Jean Randier".




Above - Inscription on either side of the North mark: Boussole Duchemin Bté S.G.D.G.
Bottom - Inscr. at the South end: Dumoulin-Froment Constructeur



(Click on picture above for an enlarged view -
Pictures courtesy Jaypee)		 Technical Data
Patent no. 101.992
- Dia. (approx.): 250 mm (10 in.)
- Inscriptions on the East side:
. inner circle: N° 1616 E.M.D.
. external circle: Emile Marin Duchemin - No. 1616

Patent No. 101.992 (50 p. with additions - copy can be ordered)



(Click on pict. above for a view of the corresponding figure 2 of the patent)

NOTE: these pictures show an instrument in very sad condition. Its remains were glued onto a marble grip or foot like the religious tool called monstrance. The photographs were taken at an antiques shop in Paris.
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- H -

HOULLIOT

PROFILE - Former French company (more information HERE). Henri Isidore Houlliot and VION were friends and decided not to compete.
VION built the big ship compasses while the small ones were manufactured by Houlliot.
See also DESOMBRE.


Production scope (published in the catalogue of the Industrie Française des Instruments de Précision, issue 1901-1902)



Large  business card
(130 x 84 mm)
(Click for enlarged views)
 Gimballed compass
(was offered in the 1932 catalogue of the Sté des Lunetiers (S-L)

Technical Data
- Card dia.: 30* - 120 mm (* see pocket compasses)

 
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- K -

KELVIN

PROFILE - Kelvin Hughes Ltd was formed in 1947 by the merger between the scientific instrument manufacturing firms of Henry Hughes & Son Ltd, London, England, and Kelvin Bottomley & Baird Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland.
(Read the full story in Wikipedia - "Kelvin Hughes")


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- L -

LUDOLPH

PROFILE - W. LUDOLPH GmbH & Co. KG (Bremerhaven) is a German company manufacturing nautical and aeronautical compasses (see also this latter category - more information HERE.)

Examples of older compasses


(Click for enlarged view) 		Early model

(picture Franz Rothbrust)


Photo courtesy Ebay seller 3-2-1meins-deins		 Cabin-roof mounted compass with mirror and lighting.
Installed in fisher and official boats.

Technical Data
- Serial no.: 37326 (built August 1970)
- Diameter
. bowl alone: 205 mm
. with gimbal: 245 mm
. with feet: 330 mm
- Height (with feet): 180 mm
- Materials
. Bowl, gimbal and rings: brass
. Float: Brass, silver coated.
. Card: mica
... ...
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- M -

McGREGOR

PROFILE -: D.  McGregor & Co. Ltd was a Scottish manufacturer (Glasgow, Greenock, Liverpool).
(No other info momentarily available - Thank you for  helping us completing this description)



(Click to view dial)


All pictures by Diarios San Cayetano		 Technical Data
- Dimensions (diam. x height):
280 x 170 mm (11" x  6.69")
- Weight : 9,5 kg (21 lbs)
Markings on the compass card:
- Standard Compass
- Serial No.: 3142
- Latest improved “Illuminated”.

The lower surface is made of glass.

MORIN

Profile - Former French company (more information HERE).
See also the categories Survey & Artillery compasses, Marching compasses and Pocket compasses

Opticompas SRPI - MORIN (France). Late 20th century.
Bearing compass. Sighting is made from the side through a prism. The capsule is protected by a soft rubber envelope with sharp angles representing the winds. By removing a white plastic protection disk placed under the box, one can look at a map through the transparent capsule and read the angle values of a second dial (90° offset) visible from above by means of a magnifying glass.


Model: Opticompas

(Click on picture for enlarged view)

Technical Data
- Dimensions: 90 x 90 x 40 mm.
- Weight: 170 g (210 g with protection box).
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- N -

NEGRETTI & ZAMBRA

PROFILE - (more information HERE).
(more information HERE).




 Technical Data
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- O -

OBSERVATOR

PROFILE - OBSERVATOR was a Dutch manufacturer (Rotterdam?), created in 1924, bought by Kelvin Hughes in 1996.


The cardinals in Dutch:
South = Z = Zuid
Detailled view of the logo
Pictures courtesy www.megaherz-org
 Technical Data


Made in the 1920s/30s
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- P -

PLASTIMO

PROFILE - French company created in 1963 (more details on this company's website www.plastimo.com)



The compass in its box		 Model xy (1950's ?)
The North mark looks like a simplified fleur-de-lis (three diamonds) on top of an arrow.
Technical Data
Diam.: ca. 150 mm

Pictures courtesy Jaypee

(Photo courtesy Jaypee -
click on pictures for enlarged views)

Exploded view of a CONTEST compass
Graphic courtesy PLASTIMO
 Technical Data
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- R -

ROUX, Joseph

PROFILE - Former compass maker located in Marseilles already active during the 18th C. (note: the "x" is to be pronounced).
In the 19th C., his instruments were signed Joseph ROUX, hydrographe sur le port, à la boussole couronnée.



Picture courtesy Jaypee - Musée de la Marine, Marseille

Detail view

(Click for enlarged view)
 Technical Data
Built 1743
- Divisions : rhumbs - see CARDINALS
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- S -

SAURA

PROFILE - Japanese company (see this company's own website: http://www.nichigosan.co.jp/saura/htm/company.htm).
Its products are also sold by CARAC Co. Ltd.
pictures of a hand bearing compasss: http://www.sailing.dittybag.net/antiques/shbcompass/page_1.htm

SESTREL

PROFILE - Sestrel is the Trade Mark brand of Henry Browne & Son who were important British compass makers. This company was sold to Lilley & Gillie (products: magnetic compasses MK2000 & MK2002) and SIRS Navigation (both in UK) in 1993.  
HENRY BROWNE & SON, Ltd was established in (18..?) in Barking, London in Essex. They were respected English instrument makers that had been making fine quality compasses, ship's clocks, inclinometers, sextants, and chandlery items for over 140 years. Their “Dead Beat“ compass design is well dampened and serves to reduce oscillations. It is reported that this design compass was fitted to many Allied ships during WW II. Over the more recent years, there has been a consolidation of British instrument makers and the firm of Henry Browne & Son has changed hands a number of times. At last count, it became part of Lillie & Gillie of London for what may be the second time.
Another famous SESTREL product is their landing compass (example: see Aeronautical compasses, Air Ministry 06)
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SIMMS

PROFILE - This unsigned item features the same card and fleur de lys than the compass made by Fr. Barker during his apprenticeship at Simms'. We assume that this compass was a very early model made by this manufacturer. Several other similar compasses are known that were made at the end of the 18th century.



Pictures courtesy G. Tremblay

Click on the pictures for enlarged views
Technical Data
- Diameter : 90 mm
- Height: 70 mm
- Case: 140 mm (cube)
- Weight: approx. 1 lb.
The case is made of metal but the base was cut out and replaced by a wooden disk fixed with two screws on the side. This disk supports the pivot.
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SUUNTO

PROFILE - Finnish company (see SUUNTO's own website)



(Picture Jaypee - click on the picture for an enlarged view)		 Technical Data
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- V -

VION

PROFILE - Former French company
(more information HERE)

Technical Data
- Diameter: 103 mm
- Depth: 45 mm
- Weight (compass alone): 300 g
- Material: Bakelite
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- W -

WILKIE

PROFILE - Former German company
(more information HERE)




Catalog (1972)
 Bearing compass

Technical Data
- Dimensions: 75 x 50 x 16 mm
- Weight: 38 gr

Technical Data...
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