Take a moment and enjoy the photo galley for this Vintage Kelvin & Hughes Binnacle! Possibly the nicest binnacle that we’ve ever had the pleasure to list, all original pieces are intact on this unit (besides the cap for scroll holder). It’s not often that you see a binnacle that has the same manufacturer for every aspect of the item! From the compass card to the clinometer on the front, this is a true Vintage Kelvin & Hughes Binnacle.

The Lord Kelvin 10″ Compass card was manufactured in Smiths, but in the Kelvin Hughes Division. The serial number is 56803 on the compass card. On the front of the binnacle is a brass plate that says “Kelvin & Hughes LTD. Made in Great Britain. Type: 72823. Serial No: 11653.” Below the plate is the clinometer, which also has the manufacturer’s name – Kelvin & Hughes LTD. Although Kelvin & Hughes serial number records cannot be found today – unlike E.S. Ritchie & Sons, we are able to give an approximate manufacture date by inspecting the timeline for Lord Kelvin’s endeavors.

There were many different names that Lord Kelvin operated his business under – but this one tidbit from the Wikipedia page helps us identify this as a 1944-1966 dated piece.

“Kelvin Hughes Ltd was formed in 1947 by the merger between the scientific instrument manufacturing firms of Henry Hughes & Son Ltd, London, England, and Kelvin Bottomley & Baird Ltd, Glasgow, Scotland with Marine Instruments Ltd acting as regional agents in the UK. Kelvin & Hughes Ltd were essentially a part of Smith’s Industries Ltd founded in 1944 as the successors of S Smith & Son Ltd.

Kelvin & Hughes Ltd was liquidated in 1966 but the name was continued as Kelvin Hughes, a division of Smiths Group plc.”