Which navigational outcome occurs when a chronometer's mainspring weakens in an 18th-century ship?

💡 Explanation

When the mainspring weakens, the chronometer loses time, since a weaker spring provides less driving force to the escapement mechanism and timing is slowed relative to actual time. Therefore, a ship sailing west determines it is closer to Greenwich than it is resulting in underestimated western longitude, rather than overestimation or affecting altitude/magnetic readings which depend on other instruments.

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