Original subtitles

[Music]

[Applause]

right

[Music]

so

four

uh

leave it i can manage

i thought that was supposed to be for

cecil it bores him i think

don't worry he'll grow into it

partner needs to set the table perhaps

you better take it to the attic just for

now

there's plenty of space up there all

right

by using the information tables to

calculate his longitude

excuse me reverend massacre and i shall

have to let them in

may i have one minute dr bliss most

certainly

what are you going to do about your

precious clocks

well

i'm giving a talk to the horological

society

for mommy of course not

you can't just sit around here for the

rest of your life you know

i do know may i make a suggestion

admiral douglas had no right to stop

your work it was all that publicity

about your divorce that gave him the

chance

if you brought the matter to the

attention of the navy board yourself

he would have no legal argument

they're saying i should write to them

write to douglas first hinting

that you might victim giving him the

opportunity

to um change his mind

but that would be blackmail precisely

i think that's rummy thus dr meyer's

lunar tables

allow the navigator to calculate his

longitude at c

making allowances for both refraction

and parallax distortion

using simple trigonometry

they suggest that the longitude problem

is finally to be solved by a clock

not a clumsy man-made device of spinning

wheels and levers

but a celestial clock whose hands are

the moon

and whose numerals are the stars a dial

written across the sky by the creator

himself

what do you make of him a lunatic a

serious one

you honor the society i thought you

might be attending the opera again

tonight no my lord but rest assured the

opera will be visiting me

congratulations sir most interesting

thank you your logic the longitude prize

is yours then

my lord i am i hope a scientist

knowledge itself

is my reward

he has ability that young man but little

sense

how long will it take to prove these

tables oh not so long four years perhaps

can he beat the old carpenter harrison

he has lost his way

his third machine has defeated him also

the rumor has it

the society was created so that men of

science might solve the mysteries of our

planet

i would not wish to see the longitude

prize stolen by a country tool maker

did you find the paper of interest mr

harrison well i certainly enjoyed the

reference enthusiasm for trigonometry at

sea

lord the moon may only be observed 20

days in every month and then only when

there is no cloud

it is not a practical solution for

navigation at sea please forgive my son

william you know

but he is right mr harrison the

practical solution is what we all seek

tell me the society's clock is still

adjusted by celestial observation

i believe it is so why is your watch

wrong no my lord

it's almost right which is what's more

curious don't you agree

four seconds still no change then

it's from marco mr harrison

you asked to see me ah mr jefferies

i was hoping you might be able to do

some work for me i would be delighted

could you make me one of these i need

the teeth to be set a little further

apart

have some sketch of the details yes yes

that should be possible

would next week be acceptable oh yes yes

of course thank you

oh mr jefferies your watch

is there a problem mr harrison no no i'm

quite pleased with it

the modifications are encouraging

i want to make another must be a little

larger of course to incorporate some

more changes i have in mind

and i was wondering if you would

consider assisting me i would be happy

to

thank you mr jefferies

see you next week

what are you doing

i mean to make another but the third is

almost ready

we cannot afford to be distracted now

you've seen how the watches performed in

the test

it's not perfect but what if i could

make it so

what if i could make a time piece no

bigger than the span of a man's hand

that could be taken to sea now wouldn't

that be a practical solution

harrison's fourth machine by reason the

like of its beauty and its accuracy

must take pride of place as the most

famous chronometer that ever has been

however will be made

but the journey from his third machine

which you see behind

me to his fourth thank you is one of the

most

extraordinary mysteries of horology

faced as he was by a seemingly

insuperable problem of centrifugal

forces harrison took

a daring and lateral leap

it is as though an aeronautical engineer

suddenly sees development on a new

aircraft and instead adapted the

technology

to make his bicycle fly to france

h4 as i've come to call it

resembles a large silver pear case watch

about five inches in diameter indeed it

seems to have been designed for the

daily wear and the pocket of some

prompting nagion

at the moment it's not working but that

is a state of affairs that i hope very

shortly to do something about

we should be finishing work on our third

machine not wasting time on this deck

watch

wasting our time the machine is almost

ready for its sea trial

and we've not had time to conduct a

28-day test on this watch

let alone three or six months trial i'll

go when i'm ready another four

then we need to apply for more money we

cannot survive any longer than what we

have

mr jeffrey's at least should be paid

even if we are not

are you unhappy mr jefferies me sir

no sir

there you see

mr gould francis gray

i enjoyed your talk very much i'm

looking for people who can explain

science

in language that anybody can understand

children for example

do you have any of your own two uh but

we're

separated not divorced oh no oh well

that shouldn't be too much of a problem

next time you're in town perhaps you'd

care to come and see me i'd like to talk

to you about something

certainly oh good here's my card you'll

find me at the dbc

mr harrison reverend

i think you know captain campbell

captain campbell of his majesty ship

dorchester congratulations

captain campbell has been assisting me

in the preliminary testing of dr maya's

tables

the reverend is making a mathematician

out of me the results are very

encouraging

i've been commissioned by the royal

society to travel to cintellina to

observe the transit of venus

so on the way i am to make further tests

of the tables

what brings you here we are applying for

trial a west indies trial

specified by the act of longitude that's

great news

and not before time had almost given up

on you mr harrison

i hope you will accept my services in

any way i can be of assistance

thanks gentlemen

um my lords have come

for more money that is your normal

reason for honoring our presence is it

not

mr harrison your lordship's my third

timepiece is completed

i'm testing a fourth which may be of

great service with respect to the

longitude

my son has been urging me for some time

to put him to trial

i've decided to agree and wish to apply

to take him to the west indies

what a western distraction

who told me the machine was not even

adjusted that is what i understood my

lord but apparently he's making a new

machine

what did the board resolve there was a

suggestion that he might travel to the

west indies with the captain john

campbell on the dorset show

he has to have a trial it mustn't be

with captain campbell who is his friend

masculine's trip to saint helena will

take four months

harrison must not be permitted to return

first

we must find some other occupation for

the dossier with your permission my lord

please carry on please please stay

observe i think you'll find this most

interesting this is the

pineal gland but the gland of the

controls are emotional

sir this is the first yes sir

my father took me to lisbon when i were

eight years old beautiful

quite beautiful man

of course

remarkable and it has kept time

continuously for 24 years

ah and this is the second

and this the third and this is our new

watch

extraordinary i congratulate you mr

harrison

which of these will you take to the

indies i will take neither

i'm an old man not fit for a long

journey besides i'm no

sailor my son has an enthusiasm for the

sea which i do not share

i shall send him in my stead but you

must be present for the trial

my lord as you know we've had difficulty

in finding a ship

mr campbell wished to take us but he was

ordered away on other business

the delay has however allowed me to

continue testing my watch

i'm pleased with it very pleased

i shall keep the third machine here in

london with me

send the watch for test under the care

of my son william well i hope to be of

assistance i can't promise you a captain

as sympathetic as john campbell

but i will do my best thank you

what is their crime selling alcohol

there's a rumor that the ship's beer is

rotten and the men may be forced to

drink water

three were caught selling their own brew

at an exorbitant price

is water so terrible

mr harrison please do not walk away

it is a requirement that punishment

should be witnessed by the whole crew

every stroke that you do not observe

will be taken again

thank you gentlemen

this is what i mean

this is your water sir

this is what there is for the men to

drink if the beer is filed

we should all have dry throats by then

i believe that we are closer than that

but the direction is due south

did you speak mr harrison

well according to the watch we should

cite

porter santo at dawn tomorrow if we hold

our present course to himself

i've checked the figures very carefully

what do you say gentlemen

mr harrison i don't pretend to

understand your calculations

but i'm under instruction to test your

watch

and test it we damn well shall

mr leo mouth hold this course until

tomorrow morning

yes

send my compliments to the captain i

think you should come down here

[Music]

sleep

[Music]

pour me a drink

neither myself nor my officers will

drink

anything this evening other than the

same

water that is in front of you start that

man

i will not tolerate being interrupted

when i'm speaking

now i am aware that what is in front of

you

is not the sweetest of beverages

but we have a guest on board our ship

under instruction from the admiral team

he has assured me that we will be able

to take on fresh water tomorrow from

madeira he has a machine

that has made this clear to him

is there anyone here who wishes to

quarrel with mr harrison's

machine

good then kindly get on with your meal

good morning sir mommy captain

what time is it five

not long now then nobody

[Music]

look outside mr leah learmouth they've

been up there for half an hour

and the horizon horizon

yeah horizon clear

thank you mr lemouth let's put an end to

this

mr seward i want all hands to quarters

within the hour

mr leonard said a new course please

south south west if there are any

complaints about the delay

the men can take the matter up with mr

harrison

[Music]

sir yeah

just that over there

you don't think it could be give me your

glass

[Music]

[Applause]

oh

[Music]

and may i put my marker down here and

now

for the first watch that your father

makes to go on sale

to the public

did you put it on the back seat

nothing's really good rupert

i think you better take this as well h4

thank you very much

i'm sorry if we appear to act a little

hastily

i feel like jack and the beanstalk

stealing away the treasure from the

giant's castle

what nothing nice

motor car not mine i'm afraid borrow it

from a chum in the raf

i can't afford one of course you're

right thank you so much

look if there are any expenses involved

tools or

whatever make a note of them and send

them to me won't you thank you so much

news of your achievement is all over

town

as is the fact that you are about to win

20

000 pounds you're going to be a very

popular young man mr harrison

i envy you thank you but i have to get

back to london before i can be sure

harrison you are clearly not aware

that while you were at sea war was

declared with spain

frankly i'm surprised the admiralty

permitted you to travel to jamaica at

all they must have known that you were

likely to be stranded here

but there has to be a ship going back to

england no

i'm afraid not besides it would be too

dangerous to travel unescorted

i'm sure you wouldn't wish your watch to

be captured

by the spanish

enjoy yourself

this is a very beautiful island

where are you going to put it in the

attic

and the job what

you said you were going to london about

a job

oh yes i did i met uncle mac

uncle mac you don't have an uncle mac

i do now he offered me a job on the

wireless

you're not going to play records are you

not quite

[Music]

do you speak english he wants to know

which of you is the rich bastard

my dear girl i'm the rich bastard

perhaps you would allow me the honor of

the next chance

[Music]

look over there over there

they're from the merlin arrived this

afternoon to offload some prisoners and

claim their bounty

the ships are hot two miles sprung and

half the rigging gone

they were on their way to england when

they came across a privateer

lucky bastards what's your name of the

captain

irish fellow burke williams

so that's three officers and twelve men

not including the one who died

good good witness dias harrison

we'll take you with us as long as you're

ready to leave tomorrow

tomorrow we sail on the moon tide

mr sayer i'll need you finished up there

within the hour

i have to take up diversions to

establish the longitude of the island

can't you wait another day my orders say

i must make sale as soon as i'm

seaworthy

so you better get on with it then

[Music]

how is it all monster

what time did you make it well the watch

says

the watch i don't need the time back in

england

the male little leaves on the noon tide

how long have we got

about an hour i should say i'll do the

calculations later

i've only stranded here for four months

mascara may be on his way back from

cintolina with his lunar results

come on

william one of these chaps says he's a

fisherman he's got a boat moored on the

beach below he could take them straight

out it would save time

you sure i don't think you have an

option

the merlin won't wait for you well come

on then

[Music]

good luck back here

mr harrison i can see you live

dangerously

i like that welcome aboard thank you

captain

i can see i'm not the only one

except the upper topsoil

set the upper

[Music]

have done with your summons mr harrison

go up on deck

it's a fine sight i cannot be certain

that we're back in england

but according to my workings if you take

the rat into account

we've lost under a minute since the

watch left london ten weeks ago

the uh race when we know the watch loses

two and a half seconds a day

we call that the going rate i use that

in my calculations for madeira

taking that into account it's a possible

error in longitude of less than half a

degree

let me be the first to congratulate you

no

thank you i'm already drunk

all my life my father's life

i've been for this moment

listen if the watch stops now sir

so does my heart but there will be no

proof of its achievement

half a degree we won the prize captain

we won the prize

captain spaniard on the lava side about

to cannon shot away every man to his

station tell the master gunner to report

to me

[Music]

i don't know what she's waiting for

[Music]

stand the guns by hey

[Music]

back

[Music]

the dial is a white enamel with an

ornamental design in black

the hour and minute hands are of blue

steel

and there is a polished center second

hand the movement can be swung out of

the case

turning on a bolt and joint exactly as

to those of ordinary watches of the

[Music]

period

it's no good we're gonna have to try

enough runner

mr macklin put on all the sails you can

carry and set a course to east

class can we get any more men aloft mr

vanderwein

we're taking our water forward we've got

to keep the pumps man

eight minutes at all times changing

every quarter

mr and holding you responsible

[Music]

the pallet radius and crown wheel are

both very small compared with the size

of the balance

but not content with this harrison

fitted between the fourth and crown

wheels

a most ingenious rementor whose action

at first sight is almost

uncanny

she goes

[Music]

a slight recoil being receptable at each

beat

and goes for 30 hours he played sort of

brass

polished but not guilt the pivot holes

are jeweled as far as the third wheel

that is to say

those are the balance staff the taunt

contract wheel

fourth and third wheels the jewels are

rubies

and the end stones diamonds it is a

masterpiece

weighing only slightly less than the

brain that conceived it

harris

morning captain how's your watch

dry sir i think must be the only thing

on board the ship that is who will

believe in naval watch that cannot

survive a storm

there's many a ship that doesn't survive

a storm mr harrison

but the navy don't stop making them it's

not the navy i have to convince her

this is the board of longitude

i'm very sorry reverend we are that your

journey to centellina was unsuccessful

unsuccessful sir i think you've been

misinformed a thousand miles to observe

the planet venus

and it turns out to be a cloudy day am i

misinformed

the transit of venus was but one part of

my expedition

the lunar observations on the voyage

were most interesting as i shall explain

to the board

mr harrison

mr william harrison go together if you

don't mind my instructions are quite

clear sir

don't worry they can't hurt us we won

mr harrison is this your idea of a

scientific

observation i must apologize sir but

the journey back was very difficult and

uh but papers were damaged

i am referring to the fact that it

appears only one observation was taken

in jamaica no no no

too soon but the second it appears was

taken from another position

i had very little time sir but i can

assure you the observation was most

carefully taken

with witnesses present as instructed by

the board

mr harrison do you have any formal

astronomical training

no sir but i've been taking observations

from my father since i was six years old

really

mr john harrison

my lords gentlemen if i may beg your

indulgence

it is 25 years since i first had the

honor

to address this board on the

chairmanship of dr edmund ali

and since that time i've worked with

only one ambition to satisfy your

requirements

as laid down by active parliament for

the discovery of longitude at sea

it is with both great pride and honor

and humility that i stand here today

with my son

after his great trial thank you

mr harris mayor thank you

now i have asked you here to inform you

of the resolution of the board

that firstly the brief calculations of

mr william harrison

are to be sent for computation and the

instruments

used in those observations are also to

be sent for examination

the board will then consider these

reports at a further meeting the date

of which will be announced in due course

that will be all for now gentlemen

sir i am an old man and an old man can

sometimes find his senses unexpectedly

weakened

there is perhaps an element of your

argument that i have misunderstood or

even misheard

my watch philosophy lost one minute

53 and a half seconds after 81 days at

sea

as witness and signed in the in the

papers you have before you which you

seem so keen to put away

i have fulfilled the terms most exactly

as laid down in the act of queen anne

and i demand

did you consider the question of my

reward

mr harrison i am not a commissioner of

the gaming board here to settle some

bet i am a scientist back on

now the board are at present unsatisfied

with the information before them but

have decided to make

further investigation with the help of

some expert advice now you will be

summoned

in due course to hear the results of

that investigation

thank you

observations on what grounds too

no more necessary to make multiple

observations than it is to look at once

what a hundred

times to tell the time i'll go to

greenwich tomorrow and start a program

of experiments to prove exactly that

we shall fight them interested only in

observations

not in the time keeping the clock

because they are astronomers it's all

they understand

rupert gould 10 30. program

children's eye you've got seven and a

half minutes which is about 1500 words

how long is your script i don't have a

script

but you have to have a script i have a

watch

don't worry it'll be seven and a half

minutes well don't forget

at the end say goodbye everyone count to

three

one two three and say goodbye

why the pause so the children can say

goodbye back to you

i want you to close your eyes and try to

think a thought

that nobody else has ever thought before

think very hard

pay no attention to anybody else around

you what do you see

is it just darkness or is there a

picture

most of us with our eyes closed just see

the dark

but the artist or the scientist can

sometimes

see something new something never

thought of before

it's these ideas that can change our

lives

and the people who think of them whether

they are musicians painters

architects or engineers are called

inventors

some of you listening now are inventors

open your eyes

look around can you tell who it'll be

will it be somebody with untidy hair and

big glasses

i doubt it but new inventions often seem

strange at first

even frightening something that seems

normal to us

the clock ticking on the mantelpiece

would have seemed like a magician's

trick a few hundred

years ago mr harrison we have asked you

here to acquaint you with the

resolutions

of this board we find that the jamaica

trial recently undertaken

was not sufficient to determine the

longitude

at sea laid down by act of parliament

yes sir uh i beg you please

let me finish

the board therefore wishes to instigate

a

further trial with mr harrison or some

suitable individual

accompanied by an astronomer approved by

the board

to witness the observations

uh gentlemen at our last meeting

you questioned the observations taken by

myself in jamaica

since then i have compiled

an extensive report prepared at

greenwich

please don't exert yourself mr harrison

the board has withdrawn

the objections to your observations

then why did we fail

one trial of the watch proves nothing

the results may have been chance alone

and besides the board

is not satisfied that the true longitude

of jamaica is known

and feels therefore that a proper

evaluation is impossible

but you knew that all along

may i see the results of these computers

no i i'm afraid not i mean that would

require their individual permissions and

we don't have that at the moment

now i must ask you mr harrison whether

you will accept the resolution of this

board for a further trial accompanied by

an official astronomer

maritime museum's a marvelous idea and

the perfect place for harrison's

masterpieces

we've already written to the science

museum to tell them that we want them

back

they were not pleased i can tell you in

fact i've applied for one of the

curatorships

yes i know i wanted to talk to you about

that

have they considered my application i'm

afraid your

application was not officially put

before the committee

why well i'm not the one that decides

these things but

after all that nonsense in the

newspapers it was not

felt appropriate that's it

keep her level that's it there here she

goes

keep coming yes

thank you

thank you so much oh i'm sorry

of course

good morning christopher owen and the

marine chair oh good morning to you sir

mr john jeffrey is at your service and

may i present mr john harrison

the clockmaker i'm very honored to meet

you i take it this machine is intended

for the taking of

lunar observations yes impervious

for the weather and the waves

sir it's my own invention john

simple yet

effective and will completely solve

the problem of the longitude

i've made two ready to sail to barbados

with the reverend maslin

masculine yes they said i should be here

at midday mr bliss was most particular

mr harrison

oh i can manage jewelries mr louie

my lord this is prevarication if no

astronomer is appointed then the matter

must be postponed

i only beg your indulgence sir

we're aware that you've made various

unsuccessful applications

and not surprisingly perhaps no

reputable man has agreed to waste his

time on such an expedition

we should therefore move on to other

matters

[Music]

i must apologize for my late arrival mr

harrison

we are discussing the matter of an

astronomer to accompany the trial of

your father's watch

well lord i have a proposal mr green no

greenwich

we have already covered this now he did

write to mr green but sadly

i spoke to him yesterday and he must

decline his recent

duties of the observatory extremely

demanding i can confirm this my lord

i was there and mr greene was adamant

lord i've just come from greenwich where

i had the good fortune to speak

myself with mr green i trust mr harrison

it's not your intention

to question the word of two members of

this board oh my lord

but mr green has kindly agreed to

accompany me here

no i certainly have never seen anything

like it most extraordinary

stays completely upright in any weather

i see

mr green what are you doing here i'm not

exactly sure reverend

it has been a most confusing morning

christopher irwin the marine chair

mr greene excuse me

you wouldn't by any chance be the

reverend masculine

what my name is christopher irwin and

this is the marine

chair yes i think i gathered that

so in principle mr green you would be

prepared to accompany the expedition

yes but but what you are saying i think

is that you would require

permission from your superior

correct me if i'm wrong well perhaps

my colleagues and i could help you with

that

dr bliss who exactly is

mr green's superior you know perfectly

well he works for me at the observatory

then if you were to remove your

objection the matter may be settled

my lords i believe the reverend neville

masculine would be a more suitable

observer

his presence on the trial would allow us

to test the lunar data

he is compiling i have here a copy of

his new publication the british mariners

guide it contains an entry

for the position of the moon at every

day of every hour for the next three

years

it enables with observation the

calculation

at sea of the longitude very well my

lord i propose that both mr green

and mr masculine go can we all agree on

that

then the matter is seven i think there

may be one or two other points

we would like to see six equal altitude

observations per day for three

consecutive days impossible you cannot

get six activations a day at greenwich

let alone the west indies captain cam

he's right let it read as many as are

practical

very well for as many as are practical

the watch must be submitted to me at the

observatory

for testing to determine its rate before

the second trial i'm not letting the

watch out of my sight

we need to determine the rate captain

enlighten us i think the rate should be

determined by whoever is closest to the

instrument

which must be harrison provided that it

is disclosed before the voyage starts

there is no possibility of dissimulation

we believe that the reverend masklyn

should travel on a different ship than

the harrison

so that he may have more time to set up

his instruments for the observation

of jupiter's moons agreed

agreed

[Music]

gentlemen the river and masculine will

be in barbados one month before you and

we'll have everything prepared for your

arrival

it remains for us to wish you every

success

aboard his majesty's ship tata

[Music]

so

mr harrison here's the successful voyage

well i would like to take another

observation if you don't mind just to be

sure

indeed captain lindsay certainly

mr irwin just in time to witness our

observation

well we're expecting you to meet us uh

no one told us that you had arrived

the transmission of information is not a

strong point among the inhabitants of

this island i'm afraid

how's the void very satisfying where is

masculine

well a man's an idiot could you hold

this a mom

yes of course he has no understanding of

my chair

simply because a hinge broke on the

second day out causing him some

very minor inconvenience he's completely

refused to use it

what sort of a scientist does that make

him 23 degrees

of elevation another watch at

3 57 that gives us a longitude of 59

degrees

zero minutes and 30 seconds captain

lindsay would you be kind enough to give

me your signature sir

is that it what do you mean is that all

you do

i started to disappoint you mr airman

what did you expect mr green would you

care to witness oh of course mr harrison

well the reverend masculine spends half

the day calculating his sons

and with a good deal of bad temper

besides i have once or twice offered to

help

being uh something of a mathematician

myself

and have been most rudely addressed by

him it's lunatics for you

you'll find him very confident of what

the longitude solution

is found apparently he was very annoyed

that it was not recognized after the

voyage to centellina

but he's convinced it is his now he's

told half the island

as a result of which he's followed

everywhere by the three unwed ladies of

the town

and their mothers who are convinced he

is to be rich

he doesn't seem to notice though i don't

think he's very

interested

[Music]

oh it is a hard life i admit but i find

myself enjoying it

no there's no more training required

whatsoever i mean

anyone who sat down before can use it

well almost anyone

thank you not expected to see the

reverend masculine here

sends his apologies thank you

he's at his observatory it's out there

in the hills outside the town

he's expecting to see you tomorrow

morning

you must be very proud to be part of his

expedition

i beg your pardon madam mr harrison

intends to challenge the reverend

gentleman

not to support him he is his competitor

oh dear how silly of me

uh

congratulations on a safe trip welcome

to this

island paradise good morning

i was sorry to miss your dinner last

night those things become a little

predictable after a while

such a perfect night i understand

it is you who is to be congratulated

really you know everyone at dinner last

night informed me you'd won the

longitude prize

you should not take talk back that

seriously mr harrison i wouldn't

would it not for the fact that a talk

apparently came from you reverend

under the circumstances i think it would

be improper that you take the equal

altitude observations that will

determine the accuracy of my watch

and i will prefer them to be taken by mr

green here and witnessed by captain

how dare you say that to me sir i am a

scientist

oh dear boy i don't think he meant oh

shut up you stupid stupid man

gentlemen could i suggest a compromise

[Music]

impossible to take a measurement

properly under these circumstances

28 degrees and 15 minutes

28 degrees and 15 minutes 38 degrees

15 minutes would you be quiet i'm so

sorry to have disturbed you we are

quite finished look old man

why don't you make another observation

tomorrow

i'm sure the conditions will be better

william

i thought we'd lost you i think perhaps

you have

you know today is the first day i can

remember

when i haven't looked at a clock or a

watch

or even do the calculation

i didn't know what to do at first

i just started to walk

what is it bad news i'm afraid

i found you a ship she's a merchantman

captain's name is robert manley seems a

good fellow

and uh she sails at noon

tomorrow

so

what do you do sell the house i suppose

there's no choice about that

i can't afford to keep it well where

will you live

oh i'll find somewhere a small hotel

what about the clocks i don't suppose a

hotel would put up with them

there's only one left you'll be pleased

to hear it's proving to be a bit tricky

i'm sending it back to greenwich i'll

finish working on it there

oh yes cecil said you'd applied for a

job as a curator no no i uh

i changed my mind about that

well goodbye then bye

laura says there's going to be a war

what do you think

i don't think so it's all phony

thank you so much

how was he very weak he's angry with

himself that he could not be there to

greet you

he received your letters how long has it

been like this

since you left

try not to get him excited

the fever is strong i have led him again

but he's very weak and i dare do no more

i'll come back tomorrow

thank you

when i was just a baby

i remember lying in bed very sick

and my mother holding a watch in front

of my face

while she sang to me

i don't remember the song but the

kicking of the watch

seemed like an orchestra playing with

and then she she laid the watch on my

pillow

afterwards she used to say it sent me to

sleep

but it didn't people say

the tick of a clock is like a single

sound

but it's hundreds

it's hundreds of tiny frictionless

expansions

and contractions all twisted into a

single moment

i'm very sorry i wasn't there to meet

you

never mind about that we did it

mr green was there and witnessed

everything even masculine can't deny it

this time they can't refuse us

i like to see their faces when you tell

them

he looks pleased with himself

still there is one piece of news the

very reverend john bliss had the

misfortune to fall off his horse whilst

taking exercise in the park

he did not recover it's devastating

isn't it

who's to be astronomer royal not decided

yet

mr william harrison

mr harrison you may have heard the sad

death of the astronomer royal in your

absence

yes sir i'd like to take this

opportunity to present the new

astronomer royal

good morning william the reverend

neville masculine

recently returned from a most successful

trip to the west indies

the members of the board will be

familiar i think with his report and the

astonishing success he had on his

journey

and the triumphant use of professor

meyer's tables

i'm sure i also must congratulate the

reverend masculine but as we all know

the calculation with the watch may be

completed in a matter of minutes and

does not depend upon the weather be

quiet mr harrison

we are coming now to the matter of the

watch and the opinion of the computers

captain campbell

your test this is your report and that

you and your colleagues agree on it

we do very well mr harrison please step

forward

it is the finding of this board that the

watch of timepiece created by john and

william harrison

did keep correct time within the

greatest accuracy

required by the act of queen anne as

drawn up by parliament

51 years ago

[Applause]

well may i have a copy of those to show

my father he has waited a long time to

hear your lordship's kind words

in good time mr harrison astronomer

royal would you be kind enough to read

the fifth paragraph of the act

and be it further enacted by the

authority of foresaid that as soon as

such method for the discovery of the

said longitude shall have been

tried and found practicable and useful

at sea

thank you practicable and useful

those are the words i wish to draw to

your attention

we accept the usefulness of the watch

but is it practicable

mr harrison himself has never permitted

this committee to examine the workings

of his timepiece

i suggest to you that is because he

himself

has doubt about the practical use of his

invention

lords you must understand that my father

has sought to

protect his word from those who might

steal his inventions but if

this board requires it we shall submit

detailed drawings of the workings of the

watch when he has received his prize

mr harrison this board does not accept

restrictions placed upon its work as

prescribed by parliament

here are the conditions required for

fulfillment of the terms of the act

first your father must in person take

the watch apart

and explain the working of every detail

to the complete satisfaction of such

persons as this board shall appoint

this shall include any experimental

observations they may require

secondly he shall make or cause to be

made under his soul direction

two further watches of the same design

to demonstrate the practicality of their

construction

and thirdly these new watches

shall be subjected to such tests or

tests as this board shall require

to ascertain their usefulness under the

terms of the act

then and only then will he receive his

prize

although my father is second he's 73

years old

he has until thursday to accept the

conditions which i must inform you have

been submitted to parliament

and will form part of a new amendment to

this bill

call mr christopher irwin please

so

you all right old man yes thank you

what's masculine doing here he's the new

astronomer royal

[Music]

is this everything sir uh yes

thank you

[Music]

so

my nose that my bigger indulgence

i'm not used to speaking i must speak

for me

perhaps your father would like a chair

thank you no thank you

well let us proceed to the business you

accept the terms of the board

my father accepts the need for

disclosure of the working of his watch

but wishes that he might demonstrate the

mechanism to such people as may

understand it

not to uh theorists that is for us

to decide they can choose who they like

i'll choose how i let my own house

i beg pardon mr harrison my father is

pleased to accept the board's

nominations

there is one question your lawsuit

requires that we be prepared to do

experimental

observations and my father is not clear

what that means

well

reverend um there's nothing sinister

about it merely that if there is a

detail

not understood by the committee such as

um how mr harrison

is accustomed to um what's the word

um temper spring for example

he should demonstrate his technique to

us what understand about a temple of a

bloody spread

would it be possible to set out more

explicitly what the board requires

so that we might be prepared for it no

sir

it would not it is not your business sir

to limit the inquiry of this board but

to satisfy it it is not my business

to explain the workings of a lifetime to

a group of

dog collar university book swallowers

who wouldn't know the difference between

a balanced spring and a bench at pin

the 30 years i've stood before this

board i never once had the occasion to

talk to anyone

who knew anything about what i was

actually doing

any sense of the mechanisms i created

but i carried on trusting that if i

fulfill the act of queen and i'd get my

just rewards

i have fulfilled that act

i have made such a mechanism

give me my prize and i'll use the money

to build a a factory

make 100 watches a thousand each one the

same but i will not

as long as i've got a drop of being this

good in me buddy and not dance to the

tune of a

group of england skull boys

mr harrison

father don't give me any more of your

fine words and clever explanations

what do you know about what i've had to

put up with what do you understand about

what i've done

could you build a watch sir no you damn

well

couldn't get away from me get away from

me

william william

if you wouldn't mind

mr harrison either your father signs an

oath

agreeing to these terms or this matter

ends here

we are prepared to pay half the award

unless those monies paid out once we are

satisfied with the disclosure and the

other half

when the new watch is made by your

father have proved their worth

well olivia just changed the wording of

experimental observations it would sign

no no no no

no how many times

do i have to say it to you bloody people

you do not negotiate with this

board

you

i'm 40 years old

and what family i have is here in this

room

these machines are my brothers and

sisters

certainly i know them better than any

human

so do you

ever since i were a child i've watched

out

carefully you touch them

never angry always loving

nothing i could ever do could make your

eyes light up

in the way an infinitesimal sliver a

time

could sometimes make you weep with joy

so i tried to slide myself between them

and you

hoping that some tiny drop of that

feeling

might fall on me

as i grew older i thought

if i can understand them perhaps you

would begin to understand me

until they became my life too

and so i find myself now

knowing the touch of a brass whale

better than flesh and blood

i will do as they wish

i wanted you to be safe

i thought i could make us impregnable

[Music]

what's going on we've in order to move

all available exhibits out to cambridge

why on earth with hitler by a museum in

the middle of a park

it's just orders

do you mind if i do that there's a

special case for it i made it myself

some time ago but i'm sure i can still

find it

help yourself it's a funny-looking thing

isn't it

yes it is a funny looking thing do you

think i could have a chair

thank you look uh

are you all right

no i don't think i am

how old are you 18. although i don't

know what that's got to do with it

nothing nothing at all don't take any

notice of me

it's just do you have any idea what it's

like

war is that what you're worried about

it'll all be over before it begins

germany didn't want a war

it's just their way of waking us all up

look can i get you something a cup of

tea

yes cup of tea i'll

do the chicken

what i'm suggesting is that they can go

to different destinations then if one of

them is destroyed the others will

survive is that possible

well look i'll do my best but at the

moment it's all i can do to get

everything over to cambridge

oh we are sending some of the smaller

items to a

science museum vault in bethlehem i

could get one because we'll be good

thank you right well leave it with me

please and i'll

sort something out

[Music]

wow

[Music]

me

[Music]

yuri

is

[Music]

so

[Music]

hey

[Music]

they're all satisfied now we just put

the watch together and check it to the

committee

he'll give us half the prize what watch

there is no watch

look at it

you know the strange thing is i want to

build another one

taking it apart and putting it together

again

i can see improvements you have to make

a duplicate

those were the terms terms

what do they know wasn't one of them

understood what i was saying

even the watchmakers didn't see

everything they think in straight lines

not prepared for the curve lot of

surprise

that takes you to a place you cannot see

and how are we to know that this is the

same watch that was used at the

disclosure

i could make a watch in five days then

i'd have the prize money by the end of

the week

very well i am pleased to offer you

the certificate of this board

congratulations

you've made something useful how long

will it take you to make two further

watches as required by the act

new act requirements

additional instruments are not required

by the actor queen anne

the act required that the invention be

practical

we've merely clarified that issue in our

recent amendment

how long will it take two years

if my watches returned to me to work on

i'm afraid that is impossible

your watch as you call it is of course

our watch and this board intends under

the direction of the astronomer royal

to conduct a series of tests at the

observatory in greenwich

at the conclusion of which mr larkham

kendall will make a copy of the watch

and i think you will agree his need is

the greater

we'll take a further year if i'm forced

to work without it

so be it mr harrison so be it

thank you

mr harrison

i have instructed the astronomer royal

to collect the rest of the timepieces

why because they are the property of

this board

[Applause]

he has brought an open card with no

suspension

it means to destroy them on the journey

to greenwich

morning william i've come to college

mr harrison madison machines are ready

for collection i will need a certificate

from you that they're in good order

i'm not sure i'm a good judge of that

sir of course i agree with you

i can state that they appear to be in

good order i think that's also fine i

can say it as a fact they're in perfect

order

that will not be necessary and i will

need it to be understood that when they

left my property that was the case

and that you were entirely responsible

for their safety from this moment on

i accept that responsibility now what is

that normal method of transport

vote do not ban the words with me sir i

am serious they should go to greenwich

by barge

not some old cart like a butcher carry

bag of bones in i merely wish to know

whether it is the custom to take

machines to pieces before moving them

no but they must do nothing off he has

the authority of the board let him

exercise it this is quite childish i

know perfectly well how to achieve this

if this is the case we will need a uh a

blacksmith to help us take it apart

[Music]

oh

[Music]

um

[Music]

your father has been cruelly used but

while i'm out of the admiralty there is

little i can do but i must be some other

way

he cannot finish two feather watches it

will kill him

do you have any skill of cards mr

harrison

normally no neither to these ladies it

would appear perhaps they

flatter me

well parliament has already been the

instrument of much

mischief there is therefore only one

court of appeal i could recommend

and that is the crown

can i have a look at that look at what

your watch sit up

daniel

i took mine away

here you are

mind you look after it or you'll get me

into trouble

thank you

it will be quite informal just bow and

address him

as your majesty i will divert the queen

whose taste is more inclined to scandal

than to science

[Music]

family his majesty is a most

conscientious father

hold your fire gentlemen hold your fire

my dears we are saved lord sandwich

knows about the running of the ship

he will come to our rescue your majestic

may i present

mr john harrison mr harrison

i am very pleased to make your

acquaintance please

excuse our exuberance mr william

harrison

have you ever sailed on a frigate sir i

have your majesty and where prey were

the

mortars situated on the foxhole deck aha

georgie you are in the right sir and i

am in the wrong mr harrison here will

show you the positioning of your mortars

you may need some more ammunition

my dear you mustn't get the children so

excited

they'll never sleep

else

i think i have something here that might

interest you

please excuse my husband come and look

at our battleships mama

come aboard this

was presented to me by mr priestly most

wonderful creation for the production of

electricity

what is this use having the foggiest but

that's pretty what what

mr harrison i've been informed at length

about your trials and i must tell you

sir that we are very disturbed by the

news

the safety of our ships is our dearest

concern and we are most

grateful for your endeavors on their

behalf thank you your majesty

tell me have you started work on the new

watch i have so

when it is finished will you do

something for me bring it here let me

see it

i would be most interested

oh have you seen this i wore it today

especially for you

mr arnold made it for me

i hope not the admiralty may want him

back

so do i get my watch back then

i'm not sure i can do without it yet

have you had a walk today

i'm getting you up do you have a name

rupert do you

grace but it's nurse ingrams to you

what do you think

it's good fit for a king

rupert

it's all right i'm here

rupert there's nothing to be alarmed

about it's only a drill

feel the time

i could feel your heart that's better

finish the story you were telling me

yesterday

about him taking the watch to the king

did he

yes he did

the king decided to do his own

experiment

an experiment that lasted

months did it work no not at the

beginning

at the beginning it was a disaster it is

a most perplexing matter

dr demayne bray my astronomer and dear

friend came to me this morning with the

news

well i can tell you sir that i did not

believe it came here at once to see for

myself and he was right

absolutely and utterly correct i don't

know what to make of it i don't

understand what was wrong

wrong what was it slow did it stop what

that it had sir what

no the problem is more serious than that

your what's uh your what

sir is going backwards

i noticed this morning sir i immediately

informed this matter okay yeah

the position i believe

is correct the position is fine

i have no explanation for this wait

what the compass needles what do you

think

the needles when we were magnetizing the

needles what do we do with the

whatever do you call it what the load

stones

there's the key the key we're ground

lodestones you think the magnets were

affecting the clock i

am sort of it's uh take these out and

throw them in the garden

immediately

there now we must start

all over again your majesty is very kind

bethel sir i'm a scientist

that's why i watch the ball

55 56 57

58 59 11 o'clock

well let me see mr harrison

i think we are on target gentlemen

[Music]

sneaky

[Music]

may

we're going to kick you out soon you

know well they can't possibly i'm

feeling particularly mad at the moment

i don't think they cure that kind of

madness here

what will you do oh yeah

picture turns outside the gates i

suppose

do you have any objections to life under

canvas

not more than a couple of thousand

seriously seriously though

i have no idea

it's just you could move in with me

what in the nurses quarters wouldn't

sister object or

do you imagine i wear some sort of

disguise don't be silly it doesn't suit

you

no i'm thinking about going home

before they throw me out too

my mother needs some help and i feel i

ought to be with her

it's not ideal i know but

you could come too if you wanted

sounds pretty ideal to me

they've had hundreds of proofs what

makes you think one moral change their

mind

they must listen to the king and there

is one thing in our favor

lord morton is deceased

[Laughter]

i move to enter the results of the

recent trial at the king's observatory

in richmond

which show that in a trial of 70 days

greater than the time of the west indies

voyage stipulated in the act of queen

anne

the watch lost less than a tenth of a

second a day

which would be consistent with finding a

longitude

in those west indies to a distance of

less than one mile and therefore wholly

within the act

sir this board this board cannot accept

an unsupervised trial no matter how

eminent the participants may have been

this board is charged by a most solemn

act of parliament as these members are

here to witness

and must satisfy its observations by its

own eyes and not those of any other

party

the royal trial was carried out under

the strictest conditions

with three separate key holders his

majesty graciously consenting to be one

of them

the regulating clock was the subject of

nine observations of the sun

to keep a check on its accuracy

something the astronomer royal

never attempted once during his own

trial sit down mr harrison

i would like to call upon captain john

campbell

who has a report recently arrived from

jamaica

concerning the exploratory voyage of his

majesty's ship

resolution under the command of captain

james cook captain

gentlemen captain cook is carrying a

copy of mr harrison's timekeeper made by

mr kendall

and the um astronomical tables of the

reverent masculine

his full report will not be available

until his return

but i am able to read you this extract

from his

it would not be doing justice to mr

harrison and mr kendall if i did not own

that we have received

very great assistance from this useful

and valuable timepiece

the watch was used to predict the

landfall of saint helena within three

miles

this is not evidence but anecdote

this board under the direction of the

late lord morton

made its conditions perfectly clear when

mr harrison has completed work on his

second copy

both watches will be subjected to a

trial of several months

on land and at sea with the utmost rigor

no other test will suffice if you will

excuse me i have an important matter i

must attend to mr harrison

if your business is finished here

perhaps you would care to accompany me

with the board's permission

i want to thank the board for giving me

the opportunity

to make a second copy of my watch

it is not often that the father is

permitted to revisit

the childhood of a much-loved child

as i've been allowed to while on that

journey

find a new respect and love

for that child

i've been bigger indulgence my lordships

i'm an old man

and i've never been accounted as speaker

of merit

i may not be scared to complete another

watch but i've begun one

it will not gentlemen be a copy because

i am mindful

of the act of queen anne to which i've

cloned

for over 50 years like a like a

shipwrecked sailor to a battle

to be practical in all my life that's

been my gospel and my creed

i have an idea that the heat

compensation

must be within the balance of the watch

and not around it

and this morning i made this

i tried the idea in my first sheet clock

over 40 years ago i failed

i didn't understand it so much i didn't

understand

a compensating balance wheel will

simplify the adjustment of the machine

so others may make my watches more

easily

[Music]

should god grant me the time to complete

my labors

thank god you're here hurry please the

producer's having kittens

but i thought the program started at

eight this is television commander

we have rehearsals i'll have to take you

straight to make up

oh it's always absolutely necessary

having constructed a time keeper

from which discovery john harrison never

received his award from the board of

longitude

it came to him by special act of

parliament when he was 80 years old

to pay all calls to be paid

to the said john harrison

that some long promised to him by this

house

as a reward

[Applause]

he had a further two years left to him

to enjoy his wealth

after his death in 1776

william married but never made another

watch

after the war rupert gould became a

regular member of the brains trust

a popular panel show and appeared

several times on television

what makes a man great a man may be

great in his aims or

in his achievements or in both but i

think that man is truly great

who makes the world his debtor who does

something for the world which the world

needs

and which nobody before him has done or

known how to do john harrison

was such a man in 1946 gold was finally

made a curator of the national maritime

museum

and a year later he was awarded the gold

medal of the british horological

institute

he died in 1948 and even today there is

not a seaman alive

anywhere whose track is not made

straighter safer and more prosperous

by the possession of a time keeper

gould's notebooks are displayed today at

the royal observatory

next to them stand john harrison's four

marine timepieces

which together represent one man's

struggle against all odds

to use the fourth dimension time

to connect positions on our

three-dimensional globe

thanks to harrison's work and others

greenwich is recognized all over the

world as the prime meridian

the longitude zero by which all time and

space is measured

from one millennium to the next

[Music]

you