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171-4185
Pocket watch: important, very early Scottish chronometer, rare combination Earnshaw and Arnold, Thomas Reid no. 1208, Edinburgh 1791
Ca. Ø58mm, ca. 171 g, 18 K gold, paircase, hallmarks 1791, oval sign on case with a pointed morning star and signature "Cave Adsum" (beware, I watch) on back, casemaker's punch AL, fine gilt English full plate movement, chain and fusee and power-maintaining mechanism, spring detent escapement in manner of Earnshaw, compensation balance in OZ shape in manner of John Arnolds patent from 1782, cylindrical gold weights and screwed weights, blued hairspring, diamond endstone, signed and numbered, enamel dial (fine hairline), blued steel hands, peripheral lever for stopping the movement, very good condition, in working order. The watch includes a short gold watch chain with matching watch key, also gold. Thomas Reid (1746-1831) apparently belonged to one of the numerous Scottish watchmaker dynasties. About 10 Reids are known from and around Edinburgh, of which Thomas became the best known. The mixture of construction shapes in this chronometer: Arnold OZ balance with flat hairspring and regulator pointer, but Earnshaw spring detent escapement, in addition the outer stop device for the balance shows an experimental watchmaker.
Hammerprice: 5.000 €
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171-4191
Pocket watch: heavy English pocket chronometer John Roger Arnold No.1856 in museum-quality, London 1802
Ca. Ø63mm, ca. 204g, silver, case and movement with matching number 1856, Londoner hallmarks 1802, maker's mark TH (Thomas Hardy), chronometer movement with spring detent escapement, OZ balance, diamond endstone, helical hairspring, plate completely signed and numbered, signed and numbered enamel dial (peripheral hairline), gold hands, in good condition, movement intact, cleaning recommended, very rare English collector's watch. John Roger Arnold (1769-1843) was the son of the famous English watchmaker John Arnold. John Roger first apprenticed to his father, the watchmaker John Arnold, and continued his training with Abraham Louis Breguet. In 1787 he became a partner in his father's company, which was then called John Arnold & Son. His specialities were deck and pocket chronometers. In 1796 he became a Master at the Clockmakers Company. In 1821 he received a patent for a compensation balance. From 1830 to 1840 he was partner of Edward John Dent in the company Arnold & Dent. During their partnership the two watchmakers were experimenting in different directions, but focused on the effect of magnetism on chronometers.
now only: 10.000 €
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171-4193
Pocket watch: important pink gold pocket chronometer by Thomas Earnshaw with "sugar tongs compensation", No.763/3352 in museum quality, London 1805
Ca. Ø58mm, ca. 150g, 18K pink gold, pair case with matching London hallmarks from 1805, matching master's mark IM, watchpaper, precision movement with Earnshaw's spring detent chronometer escapement, three-armed steel balance, "sugar tongs" temperature compensation, blued hairspring, florally engraved balance cock, engraved regulating scale, diamond endstone, ruby, perfectly preserved enamel dial, pink golden hands, in excellent condition, in working order, fine collector's watch. Thomas Earnshaw (*1749, Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire, + 1829, London) first worked from 1794 to 1795 in 119 High Holborn and later also in 87 Fenchurch Street. He is undoubtedly the inventor of the spring detent chronometer escapement and prevailed his competitors inventions for a half century. Furthermore we owe to him the idea of the balance wheel made of brass and steel, which made the later compensation balance possible. In his writing "Longitude: An Appeal to the Public..." he describes in detail the development of his spring detent chronometer escapement. On the side of his competitor John Arnold were such important people as Sir John Banks, president of the Royal Society, and Alexander Dalrymple, the hydrograph of the admiralty (source: Dr. Crott, 91st auction, lot 544). The watch originally comes from the important chronometer collection which was auctioned in the anniversary auction of Dr. Crott as lot 544 and was sold for 28.500,-€!
Hammerprice: 14.000 €
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