Harrison vs Maskelyne: should a sailor trust a clock or the stars?

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JOHN HARRISON vs MASKELYNE go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

JOHN HARRISON

I locked London's time inside a box of brass and wood; carry my chronometer and the sea can never lie to you again.

MASKELYNE

A clever toy, Mr. Harrison, but a spring can rust and a gear can seize, while the heavens above never break down.

JOHN HARRISON

Your lunar tables demand four hours of arithmetic and a clear sky, and a frightened sailor in a storm has neither.

MASKELYNE

Yet the stars are free to every ship, while your masterpiece takes an artisan a lifetime and a king's ransom to build.

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