RITCHIE

Navigation starts with the right compass: Ritchie Navigation
In 1850, the physicist Edward S. Ritchie begins with the development of his first naval compass. In 1861 Ritchie receives an order from the US Navy. Among other things, he supplies the Navy with his first liquid-filled compass. In the same year, Ritchie starts production and sales of his compasses under the company name ES Ritchie & Co. In 1951, the company becomes the property of the Marine Compass Company of Louis A. Sherman. The focus is now on smaller instruments for commercial fishing boats and private yachts. New materials make the devices lighter, more stable and efficient. Research and development remain an ongoing process, even in the age of GPS. Under the leadership of the Sherman family, the company has so far successfully operated according to the motto "Man can't survive by GPS alone."