Mudge Green Chronometer New description coming soon ... This marine timekeeper with constant force escapement is one of a pair of timekeepers that Thomas Mudge developed in his pursuit of winning the Longitude Prize. It took three years, 1776-79, to complete and is signed Tho. Mudge 1777. The Mudge timekeepers were trialled at sea, the records of which are archived in the Royal Museums Greenwich. They were found to have developed irregularities and could not be used reliably at sea. The Mudge Green is extensively illustrated and detailed. Its escape wheel is comprised of 15 teeth cut to a complex shape. Each finely cut wheel has six crossings and high tooth counts: 100 teeth on the great wheel, 120 teeth and a 20 leaf pinion on the centre wheel, 120 teeth and 16 leaf pinion on the third wheel; and 120 teeth and 15 leaf pinion on the contrate wheel. The ‘Green’ that this timekeeper is known for is based on the covering, which is made from a Shagreen/Warty Chameleon skin (probably of the species furcifer verrucosus also known as the Madagascar Giant Chameleon). The watch disappeared at some point during the first quarter of the 19th century. Its whereabouts were unknown until it came up for auction at Christie’s in Geneva where it was sold in 1976.
