Blackwood Two-Day Marine Chronometer by Thomas Gaunt, Melbourne (1880)

• Blackwood - One of the best known and most widely used Australian timbers, blackwood (acacia melanoxylon), is a member of the Acacia (wattle) family and grows in eastern Australia from about Adelaide in South Australia, as far north as Cairns in Queensland.
  
  The largest, straightest and tallest trees come from the wet forest and swamps of north-west Tasmania where it is grown commercially.
  
  Blackwood timber colours range across a wide spectrum, from a very pale honey colour through to a dark chocolate with streaks of red tinge.
  
  The hardwood timber has been commonly used in the production of furniture, flooring, and musical instruments in Australia from the late 19th century. However, the straight grain timber is not the most prized or valuable, that honour falls to blackwood with a wavy, fiddleback pattern, which is used both in the solid and as a veneer. Fiddleback was only used on the finest examples of furniture.
• Maintaining Power - A horological term to describe a subsidiary driving force such as a spring or additional weight in a clock, which keeps the movement going while the mainspring is being rewound.
• Bevel / Chamfer - In furniture making, a chamfered corner refers to a technique used to create a smooth, angled edge on the corner of a piece of furniture. This is typically done by cutting away a small portion of the corner at an angle, typically 45 degrees, creating a diagonal edge, rather than a sharp 90-degree angle. This technique can be used on various parts of a piece of furniture such as table legs, drawer fronts, or door frames. Chamfering can add visual interest to a piece and can help to soften the overall look of a piece of furniture. It is often used in conjunction with other techniques, such as rounding edges or using contrasting wood species to create a more elegant, sophisticated look. Chamfering is a simple way to add a touch of elegance to a piece of furniture and it is a common technique used by furniture makers.
• Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
• Thomas Earnshaw Balance Springs - Thomas Earnshaw (1749 ? 1829 )was a British clock and watch maker who was a renowned inventor and craftsman. Earnshaw is credited with standardizing the design of the marine chronometer, making it a more reliable and accurate instrument for navigation. He also developed a process for hardening the balance springs used in chronometers, which made them more durable and resistant to temperature changes.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• chronometers and deck watches - marine 84
• Gaunt, Thomas & Co. (Melbourne, Australia) - jewellery, clocks, watches and decorative items 89