Thomas Mercer, London, two day marine chronometer, 11 jewel fusee movement with spotted plates, Earnshaw's escapement, freesprung, cut bimetallic balance, diamond endstone, and helical balance spring, Roman numeral silvered dial with wind indicator and

Thomas Mercer, London, two day marine chronometer, 11 jewel fusee movement with spotted plates, Earnshaw's escapement, freesprung, cut bimetallic balance, diamond endstone, and helical balance spring, Roman numeral silvered dial with wind indicator and gold spade and poker hands, with gimballed, lacquered brass bowl, the side engraved "U.S. Navy Bu. Ships 22- 1943 No. 7643" and "Harold S. Vanderbilt", contained in a three tier mahogany box with flush mounted brass furniture, serial #7643 running, plates with scattered minor marks and fine scratches, barrel bridge screwheads with minor marring and loss to blue, bowl and gimbals in old lacquer, box with minor scratches, box top replaced, and with split, plaque missing, box and hardware with old finish. It appears that this chronometer was once the property of Harold Stirling Vanderbilt (1884-1970), the great grandson of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. Harold was an avid and competitive yachtsman, winning numerous King's, Astor, and America's cups. He was a charter inductee to the America's Cup Hall of Fame at the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island. There is also a room of his sailing memorabilia on display at "Marble House", the opulent Vanderbilt summer mansion at Newport, RI., built in 1895.