Nautical Style

The trade mark 'Sestrel’ was originally registered by Henry Browne and Son Ltd. in the second half of the 19th Century. By the early 1900's Henry Browne's marine equipment and instrument business had grown substatailly and he moved his operations to Station Works, Wakering Road, Barking, Essex (now in the London Burough of Barking and Dagenham).

'SESTREL' is an amalgam of the qualities of the instruments they made...

SEnsitive –STeady – RELiable

It is a name synonymous with quality and accuracy; this is evidenced by the sheer number of vintage and antique instruments still in use today.

Henry Browne is credited with designing and manufacturing the revolutionary ‘Dead Beat' compass. After his death in 1929, he was succeeded as managing director by his son F. G. Browne.

This Sestrel Hand Bearing Compass is a fine example of Sestrel's original, non-illuminated design. It is in "as found condition". The bowl is made from heavy cast bronze, but the silver-gray hammered-metal finish is heavily tarnished. Atop the bowl is a bearing sight combined with a mirrored glass prism through which the compass card is magnified and reflected while sighting the target. The mirror silvering is showing its age, but it's still reflective enough to take a sight.

The wooden handle has a white scribble plate (material unknown) to record the sight.

The compass bowl itself is 10.75 cm (4¼") in diameter, and the compass card inside is about 5 cm (2") in diameter. At 0.9 kg, the compass is not too heavy to hold at arm's length to take a sight.

The mounting bracket is made from solid black Bakelite (images to come).

 End of description.