A previously unrecorded marine chronometer from the HMS Beagle - the ship that took Darwin on his famous voyage of discovery - will sell at Bonhams.
 Chronometers were first carried by Captain James Cook and used by the admiralty to determine longitude, remaining accurate despite the motion of the sea |
The timepiece will appear in the London Fine Clocks Sale on December 10, with an estimate of £30,000-50,000 ($47,937-79,895).
This is the only known marine chronometer that was on board the HMS Beagle when Darwin travelled to the Galapagos Islands, collecting and recording its wildlife in 1835 - the ship's second of three expeditions.
This visit to the islands would lead to his theory of evolution and the subsequent book, The Origin of Species (1859).
There were 22 chronometers on board the HMS Beagle, but only 11 completed the seven-year voyage round the coast of South America. Another example on board with Darwin sold for £74,500 ($127,551) at Bonhams in July.
This chronometer also has a fascinating naval history, having been personally owned by Captain Robert FitzRoy, commander of the Beagle during the voyage. It was later purchased by the admiralty and used across the world, before being "Lost in 'Irresistable'" a battleship that was sunk off the coast of Turkey during the first world war.
The chronometer is one of four made by respected clockmaker Robert Molyneux on board the HMS Beagle, and is the only surviving example from him.
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