Mounting your marine instruments: height, light and alignment

You have your clock and your barometer. Now, the question we get every week: how do I hang them so they look like they belong on a real ship?

The right height

Mount the dials at eye level: around 155–165 cm from the floor to the centre of the dial. That is the height at which you read without bending or stretching, and at which the set sits balanced above a cabinet or timber wainscot.

Aligning the set

• In a horizontal row: centres at the same height, even spacing of 8–12 cm between cases. Use a spirit level — the eye forgives little.
• Vertically: clock above, barometer below — the classic bulkhead order.
• One series: mix as little as possible; a set from the same series and finish (Royal with Royal, Midi with Midi) multiplies the effect.

Light and heat

Avoid permanent direct sun — heat ages the lacquer on brass, as explained in our brass care guide — and radiators directly below: rising warm air falsifies the reading of thermometers and hygrometers.

On board

On the boat, always pre-drill with a fine pilot bit, seal the screws on exterior bulkheads and check what runs behind the panel before drilling. For decks and outdoors, choose instruments in stainless steel or chrome: they shrug off salt air.

How high: the eye rule

The centre of the dial should sit at standing eye height, 1.55 to 1.65 m in a house. On a boat, where a lot of time is spent sitting, lower that point to eye height from the saloon seat or the chart table. Too high and you read it through reflections; too low and shoulders knock it.

Pairs and trios: alignment and spacing

The clock and the barometer are the classic pair; the thermo-hygrometer or the tide clock completes the trio. For an elegant set:

• Choose the same diameter and the same finish: for example three Royal ø180 mm in polished brass.
• Align the centres on a horizontal line (or vertical on narrow bulkheads).
• Leave roughly one diameter between instruments; closer and they "fight", further apart and the relationship is lost.
• On a wooden panel (teak, mahogany, oak) brass instruments look better than on a white wall.

Light: avoid glare and sun

Do not place instruments opposite a porthole or window: the convex glass reflects the light and the dial cannot be read. Direct sunlight yellows dials and heats the barometer, which then reads off. A warm side light or a small wall light — a matching bulkhead lamp — shows them off at night.

How to fix them

1. Schatz 1881 instruments are fixed through the flange with three screws at 120°; mark the points using the flange itself as a template.
2. Use brass or stainless steel screws: galvanised steel in contact with brass and salt air causes galvanic corrosion.
3. On thin bulkheads use a backing plate or proper plugs; the instrument is heavy and must sit rigid.
4. On a boat keep them away from engine vibration and, very important, at least one metre from the magnetic compass: quartz motors and battery bells contain magnets.

Where not

Not in a closed, unventilated bathroom (steam), not next to the galley (grease and heat), not on deck in the open: cabin instruments are for indoors, even if made of marine brass. In the bathroom a porthole mirror is the right piece; and if you want controlled humidity in the cabin, read humidity on board.

Frequently asked questions

Can they be mounted on a sloping bulkhead?

Yes; clocks and barometers work at any reasonable angle. Only mechanical clocks prefer to be vertical so the balance swings without rubbing.

Barometer outside and clock inside?

No: the barometer measures air pressure, which is the same inside and out. Keep it under cover, out of the sun.

Which screws does the Fyrkat take?

The Fyrkat series (ø140 mm) is also mounted with three screws through the flange; its compact size makes it the favourite for cabins and narrow bulkheads.