The quintant has a black-lacquered brass three-circle pattern frame, with a wooden handle. Locking of the index arm is by a sprung lever on the top of the arm. A white plastic micrometer drum is located on the index arm. The instrument has four shades, three grey and one green, and two horizon shades in green and grey. Index-glass adjustment is made by a capstan screw and on the horizon glass by screws.

Attached to the quintant is a threaded telescope bracket in two parts, fitted for correcting collimation error. It has perpendicular adjustment made by a rising-piece and a milled knob with a locking collar. The sight-tube is 84 mm in length. Accompanying the instrument are two L-shaped brackets and an adjusting pin. The telescopes, a shaded eyepiece, and some unidentified parts are missing.

The instrument has a polished brass limb with scale from -5° to 150° by 1 arcminute, measuring to 137°. Micrometer to 1 arcminute.

The quintant is contained in a square fitted wooden box marked ‘7547 M 1305’. There is a metal trade label in the lid for Plath, a typed note in German on the eccentricity error, which is dated 26 July 1917, and a rubber stamp of the Imperial German Navy.

This instrument was taken from a German submarine during World War I.