Antique Hezzanith Marine Sextant in Excellent Condition. England, 1951

Striking marine sextant in very good condition, with all its original component parts and in its mahogany case. The sextant is a Hezzanith piece and was made in London in 1951. It is a beautiful and imposing item that works fine too. It comes with a paper sheet with the manufacturers name and information about its features and revisions. Inside the case we can find some accessories for the sextants cleaning and maintenance. The brass telescopes and the metal pieces show signs of the trace of time and use, but this is logical if we consider that the sextant spent all its past life at sea.The alidade (the piece that travels over the graduated arc and marks the grades) we can see the engraved inscription HEZZANITH RAPID-READER PATENT. There is also a small metal plate with the following words: HEZZANITH ENDLESS RAPID READER AUTOMATIC CLAMP PATENT. Hezzanith was a brand patented by Heath & Co., a company founded by George Heath in New Eltham, London in 1845. In 1863 his son George Wilson entered the firm as an apprentice and in 1872 he eventually took over the company. The business manufactured scientific surveying instruments and maritime navigation devices. They had a showroom in London and a factory, The Observatory Works, in Kent. In 1937, Heath & Co. Was acquired by the prestigious firm W. F. Stanley & Co.This lovely sextant preserves all its original component parts, including the filters, the mirrors, the regulating screws, the telescopes, the eyepiece and the drum. They are all well preserved and can be easily operated. The paper sheet inside the box indicates that the sextant was examined in 1951 by the manufacturing firm. The case designed to store and protects the instrument is in very good condition and preserves the original metal handle and shutting hooks. Inside this case there is also a spare telescope, a brush, a cleaning cloth and two adjusting tools.This awesome marine sextant is an antique piece with a great evocative potential, full of history and charisma.Measurements: Width: 11 in / 28 cm. Height: 7.8 in / 20 cm.