Brass engraved dial with 54-hour up-and-down winding indicator; name "Simon Willard, 9 Congress St." between numerals 9 and 3 and "BOSTON / 100" inside seconds bit; the bright white silver dial has black Roman numerals with the following styles of hands: gold index for the up/down indicator, gold Breguet hour hand, gold poker minute hand and blued seconds hand with moon on tail; the hands appear to be original with the exception of the seconds which is somewhat crude. No signature, serial number or address appears on top plate; it possesses all the key features of a "true" chronometer: spring-detent escapement, freesprung, helical balance spring, fusee and up/down indicator (2-day); the balance is the later Pennington type (i.e., small screws around the perimeter instead of wedges and large timing screws); the top plate is gilded brass; the movement has 10 jewels, including a diamond endstone on the balance cock.

The chronometer is original in all aspects but the seconds hand; the true maker is unknown; the only Willard at 9 Congress Street, Boston was Simon Willard, Jr.; he operated a store there between 1828 and 1870 and sold horological items, few of which were made by him; the type of balance in this chronometer would date it no earlier than 1815, but it could not have been retailed by Simon Willard, Jr. until after 1828.

2.96.52 Click on the Detail image to see a larger view.