Keeping Time at Sea

Time must be kept to a precise standard to determine longitude. The first true chronometer was invented in the race to win the prize set by the Longitude Act of 1714. Now almost any watch will suffice, but the original chronometers are things of beauty. There is quite a bit of drama involving the inventors of the marine chronometer. More reading about the race to invent the first accurate clock that worked at sea can be found in Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Problem of His Time