Two-Day Chronometer for Exhibition, No. 1771

This unusual piece was designed for exhibition - the movement could be observed without motion work, hands, or dial to obstruct the view. The Victorians were fascinated with the inner workings of machines.

Its most notable feature is the glass helical balance spring. The thin glass tube was carefully shaped by hand. The flexibility of the glass spring is extraordinary. Chronometer makers in this period were searching for solutions to rusting and the effects of magnetism. Glass appeared promising but quickly lost favor because glass changes properties as it ages. However, the fragility of the glass was not deemed problematic, as one would expect. Frederick William Rippon, Dent’s stepson, did much of this experimentation. Rippon likely had a significant role in this extraordinary piece.