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ID #SA1223024
FOR SALE
£550
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WWII Raf Flying Boat Sextant
Hatchwell Antiques
for sale €644     $699
£550
Hatchwell Antiques

Hatchwell Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Sep 2016
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    Furniture & lighting alongside clocks, scientific & optical instruments.
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    Hatchwell Antiques is a registered member of LAPADA  BADA  CINOA
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Id #SA1223024
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WWII Raf Flying Boat Sextant

1920 - 1940
Description

A WWII era flying boat sextant by Henry Hughes & Son Ltd of London, circa 1943.

3 ½ inch radius. Silvered scale divided 0° – 120°, with micrometer vernier adjustment.

Air Ministry A.M. mark and REF No. 68/177

Serial No: 38983

Case: 21 x 20 x 12.5 cm.

Designed by Hughes & Son (HUSUN) for RAF Sunderland flying boats.

Hughes & Sons (1828 to 1947) were originally clock makers in the East End of London who later supplied sextants and chronometers to ships coming into the Thames. Traded at 59 Fenchurch St., London England. 1903 – Incorporated as a limited company in 1915 – Factory at Hainault, London. 1917 – Works at Forest Gate and Ilford, London, England. In 1947 merged with Kelvin Bottomley & Baird Ltd. to become Kelvin & Hughes Limited.

Declaration

Hatchwell Antiques has dated this WWII Raf Bubble Sextant to the 1940s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1223024
Description
A WWII era flying boat sextant by Henry Hughes & Son Ltd of London, circa 1943.

3 ½ inch radius. Silvered scale divided 0° – 120°, with micrometer vernier adjustment.

Air Ministry A.M. mark and REF No. 68/177

fig 1. A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp.
fig 1. WWII Raf Flying Boat Sextant

Serial No: 38983

Case: 21 x 20 x 12.5 cm.

Designed by Hughes & Son (HUSUN) for RAF Sunderland flying boats.

“
Hughes & Sons (1828 to 1947) were originally clock makers in the East End of London who later supplied sextants and chronometers to ships coming into the Thames.
Hatchwell Antiques

Traded at 59 Fenchurch St., London England. 1903 – Incorporated as a limited company in 1915 – Factory at Hainault, London. 1917 – Works at Forest Gate and Ilford, London, England. In 1947 merged with Kelvin Bottomley & Baird Ltd. to become Kelvin & Hughes Limited.

Date of Manufacture

Hatchwell Antiques has dated this WWII Raf Bubble Sextant to the 1940s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1223024
Hatchwell Antiques
Hatchwell Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Sep 2016

Furniture & lighting alongside clocks, scientific & optical instruments.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Hatchwell Antiques Profile Page

Trade Associations

Hatchwell Antiques is a registered member of LAPADA  BADA  CINOA

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A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp.
1 / 9
Archive I A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp.

WWII Raf Flying Boat Sextant

Archive II A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp. View II
Archive III A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp. View III
Archive IV A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp. View IV
Archive V A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp. View V
Archive VI A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp. View VI
Archive VII A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp. View VII
Archive VIII A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp. View VIII
Archive IX A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp. View IX
Enlarged Archival View
Hatchwell Antiques

Hatchwell Antiques
Telephone 020 7351 2344
Location
533 Kings Road
London
SW10 0TZ
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/hatchwellantiques
Verified Since Sep 2016
Items For Sale 145
Items Sold 10
Hatchwell Antiques
Hatchwell Antiques
Verified Since Sep 2016
View Dealer Info
Location: 533 Kings Road, London, SW10 0TZ, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/hatchwellantiques
Verified
Sep 2016
For Sale
145
Sold
10
A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp.
WWII RAF flying boat sextant
Ref: SA1223024
A mid-20th-century black metal and brass RAF bubble sextant with optical lenses, fine adjustment dials, and an engraved Air Ministry stamp.
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FAQs

A bubble sextant is an optical navigational instrument used by aircrews, particularly during the Second World War, to determine position by measuring the angle between a celestial body and an artificial horizon created by an internal spirit level bubble.

These precision instruments were predominantly constructed from black-painted aluminium alloys or brass to minimise weight and non-magnetic interference, featuring optical glass lenses, rubber eyepieces, and engraved brass arc scales.

Authentic Royal Air Force sextants usually feature an engraved Air Ministry AM stamp topped with a Kings Crown, alongside an official stores reference code such as 6B/177 stamped directly onto the main frame or casing.

An aviation instrument makes a focal accent on a gentlemans library desk, within a glass display cabinet, or styled alongside leather-bound books on a study bookshelf.

Dust the metal surface gently using a soft, dry microfibre cloth, avoid chemical polishes that could strip original black lacquering or paint, and clean optical lenses with specialised non-abrasive lens wipes.
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