0
45,396  PAGES BROWSED TODAY PAGES TODAY • 172  ANTIQUES UPLOADED TODAY NEW ARRIVALS
Sorted by
Per page
DEALER LOGIN
Selling Antiques Logo
0
Saved
Home
Return
Dealer Login
500+ Shops
Dealers
Newly Added
0
Saved
Sort Order
Items Per Page
sellingantiques.co.uk
ID #SA1230966
FOR SALE
£2,600
Email
Save
Faithful Freddie Submarine Binnacle
Hatchwell Antiques
for sale €3,042     $3,302
£2,600
Hatchwell Antiques

Hatchwell Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Sep 2016
View Dealers Stock Page
  • About Us
    Furniture & lighting alongside clocks, scientific & optical instruments.
  • Trade Associations
    Hatchwell Antiques is a registered member of LAPADA  BADA  CINOA
Id #SA1230966
PDF SHARE
SAVE

Faithful Freddie Submarine Binnacle

1900 - 1920
Description

Faithful Freddie binnacle by Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird, Ltd, circa 1920.

Royal Navy brass and teak portable submarine binnacle by Kelvin Bottomley & Baird of Glasgow.

Gimble mounted liquid compass marked: No 22

Compass card marked: CAPTAIN CHETWYND’S PATENT No 25965 / 06

Label to the compass bowl:

MANUFACTURED BY

KELVIN, BOTTOMLEY & BAIRD, Ltd

16 – 20 CAMBRIDGE STREET,

GLASGOW

Height: 49.5 cm.

Width: 43 cm.

Replaced painted wood correction balls.

The Faithful Freddie submarine binnacle was designed and produced to be small and portable so it could be brought up to the submarine’s conning tower when surfaced. Introduced by the Admiralty in 1909, it became to be called the “Faithful Freddie” by the sailors and submariners after the PG Wodehouse character, Freddie Rooke (Faithful Freddie) in the 1921 book Jill the Reckless, and was used until the end of WWII.

Declaration

Hatchwell Antiques has dated this Brass Submarine Binnacle Compass to the 1920s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1230966
Description
Faithful Freddie binnacle by Kelvin, Bottomley & Baird, Ltd, circa 1920.

Royal Navy brass and teak portable submarine binnacle by Kelvin Bottomley & Baird of Glasgow.

Gimble mounted liquid compass marked: No 22

fig 1. A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres.
fig 1. Faithful Freddie Submarine Binnacle

Compass card marked: CAPTAIN CHETWYND’S PATENT No 25965 / 06

Label to the compass bowl:

MANUFACTURED BY

KELVIN, BOTTOMLEY & BAIRD, Ltd

16 – 20 CAMBRIDGE STREET,

GLASGOW

Height: 49.5 cm.

Width: 43 cm.

Replaced painted wood correction balls.

“
The Faithful Freddie submarine binnacle was designed and produced to be small and portable so it could be brought up to the submarine’s conning tower when surfaced.
Hatchwell Antiques

Introduced by the Admiralty in 1909, it became to be called the “Faithful Freddie” by the sailors and submariners after the PG Wodehouse character, Freddie Rooke (Faithful Freddie) in the 1921 book Jill the Reckless, and was used until the end of WWII.

Date of Manufacture

Hatchwell Antiques has dated this Brass Submarine Binnacle Compass to the 1920s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1230966
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

PDF SHARE
SAVE
A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres.
1 / 14
Archive I A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres.

Faithful Freddie Submarine Binnacle

Archive II A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View II
Archive III A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View III
Archive IV A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View IV
Archive V A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View V
Archive VI A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View VI
Archive VII A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View VII
Archive VIII A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View VIII
Archive IX A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View IX
Archive X A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View X
Archive XI A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View XI
Archive XII A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View XII
Archive XIII A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View XIII
Archive XIV A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres. View XIV
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 147
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
147
Sold
10
A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres.
Faithful Freddie submarine binnacle
Ref: SA1230966
A polished brass and mahogany submarine binnacle featuring a hinged hood with carrying handle, a glass viewing lens, and extended side arms holding red and green painted iron spheres.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Detail View 4
Detail View 5
Detail View 6
Detail View 7
Detail View 8
Detail View 9
Detail View 10
Detail View 11
Detail View 12
Detail View 13
Archival Detail

Strictly Vetted Dealers

Every single antique dealer on our platform is individually approved by our internal team. We verify their professional trade history, ethical standards, and photographic quality to ensure a secure, high-standard buying environment. Upon joining, every dealer agrees to a strict 9-point code of conduct. While issues can occasionally arise, our dealers typically resolve them swiftly and directly with the buyer. In fact, since our founding in 2002, Sellingantiques has only had to step in to help resolve an issue on roughly five occasions—a true testament to the quality of our dealers and their dedication to your happiness.

Secure Transit

Our dealers are highly experienced in packing and shipping fragile, high-value antiques. Because you are in direct contact with the dealer, you will be able to easily go through all available shipping and insurance options together to ensure your item arrives safely.

The Sustainable Choice

Antiques are the ultimate green purchase. By choosing historical pieces over newly manufactured goods, you completely eliminate the carbon footprint of modern mass production while preserving exceptional, timeless craftsmanship.

FAQs

A Faithful Freddie is a compact, portable pattern of binnacle designed specifically for use aboard submarines and smaller military vessels. It houses a magnetic navigation compass within a protective casing, providing reliable directional reference where space is limited.

Naval binnacles were constructed primarily from non-magnetic materials such as brass, bronze, and hardwood like teak or mahogany. Iron components were strictly limited to external quadrantal corrector spheres designed to compensate for magnetic deviation.

Authentic pieces feature heavy brass casting, precise brass riveted joinery, and broad arrow Admiralty markings or official serial numbers. They also incorporate adjustable side arms holding red and green painted iron Kelvin spheres for compass calibration.

A maritime binnacle serves as an architectural accent piece when placed on a dark wood desk, sideboard top, or within a library setting. Its polished metal and technical form provide texture in industrial or traditional interior schemes.

Dust the item regularly with a soft, dry cloth and polish the brass using a specialised metal cleaner to prevent heavy oxidisation. Keep the wooden base away from direct heat sources to prevent timber shrinkage or splitting.
items
Add keywords to the filter
Price
£100
£250000
Era
Movements
Material
Origin
Stock Location
Freshness
Online Payments
Categories