Over the years, I've bought and sold a fair number of barometers—mostly from England (and most of those using imported German mechanisms). I never gave much thought to whether they were accurate or not. I always assumed they had already been "sprung," to coin a term. In truth, I didn't really have a method of accurately measuring their accuracy except when extreme weather happened to come around.
So, when I purchased this nautical "ship's wheel" barometer, I assumed the status quo would endure. But now I have an iPhone—with a fairly sophisticated local weather app. Over the last two weeks, I've been monitoring the accuracy of this barometer (two or three times a day) and, I must confess, I've been quite pleased with its accuracy. This barometer (in the last few weeks) has not been called-upon to sense extreme (stormy) weather. But the day-to-day normal fluctuations (pressures of 29 to 31 Hg) have been spot-on.
The ship's wheel is English, c. 1950. The attached mechanism is German marked. And, so far, it seems to be working quite well. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Pittsburgh's historic "Strip District" at Mahla & Co. Antiques (www.mahlaantiques.com) or in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248