The inspiration for the design of this clock comes from the work of John Harrison (1693-1776), Fellow of the Royal Society and holder of the Copley Gold Medal.

John Harrison spent a lifetime perfecting marine timekeepers in order to win the prize offered under the Longitude Act of 1714 (worth several million dollars in US currency) for any invention or method capable of calculating longitude to within 30 miles.  Harrison's original Grasshopper is on display at the Old Royal Observatory, Greenwich, England.

Our clock is based upon Harrison's H1 which was successfully tested at sea in 1736 during a voyage to Lisbon aboard the HMS Centurion.  Despite this success and the amazing performance of his other marine chronometers, the Board of Longitude at first refused to award the prize;  the story of Harrison's struggle for justice is well documented in the complimentary book by Dava Sobel which accompanies the clock.

The clock incorporates "bar" balances, which Harrison designed to overcome the influence of the motion of a ship.  These balances are coupled to a Grasshopper escapement, another of Harrison's inventions, which regulates a gilded 8-day, fusee, timepiece movement.  The clock is mounted on a mahogany base and is protected by a glass canopy.  The time is indicated in hours, minutes and seconds on etched, silver plated dials by "blued" nickel silver hands.

Specifications:
- 8 day fusee movement
- Sold brass, gold plated
-17 inches high, 12 inches wide, 8 inches deep
- 5 mm plate glass cover with mahogany frame
- 2 year guarantee of mechanical parts