A good scarce early pattern RNLI Fishermans Aneroid Barometer by Dollond, London No 2419 c1885

RNLI marine barometer having 4¾” vitreous glass printed and hand illuminated dial, the barometric scale calibrated in inches of mercury with a range from 26”–31” and divided down to 1/20th”, the upper portion marked with basic forecasting instructions, “Barometer Falls for Warm, Wet, Or More Wind,” “Rises for Cold, Dry, Or Less Wind,” and “Fishermans Aneroid Barometer.” The lower portion marked “Issued by the Royal National Life Boat Institution,” with serial “No 2419,” and signed by the maker “Dollond, London.” Blued steel pointer, gilt brass index, silvered reflector ring, all set beneath heavy bevelled glass.

Conventional wood block mounted Vidie pattern 1st quality movement driven from a single 3” capsule tensioned on a C spring. The whole contained within a zinc drum form case, bulkhead fixings at 12 and 6 o’clock. The verso with calibration port.

Condition: The subject of a full service, conservation and re-calibration under laboratory conditions. The movement working very well with good sensitivity and progression, see performance chart. The dial with slight fading to graphics, the glass with some signs of light abrasions, the case painted cream almost certainly the colour scheme of a wheelhouse. The bezel re-lacquered.

Comments: A good example of this sought after marine barometer, this is really quite an early instrument and exhibits the early characteristics of this design – the deeper case and wood block-mounted movement.

Now very hard to find in original condition, particularly those made by Dollond, these RNLI marine barometers are one of the most popular and collectable of all aneroid barometers.