5,400 CHF
Tho(mas) Mudge - W(illiam) Dutton, London, No. 970. Made circa 1760. Fine, quarter-repeating, gold pair-cased pocketwatchwith cylinder escapement. Outer: two-body, the bezel and back band pierced with foliage and engraved with flowers. Inner: Two-body, “bassine” form, polished, deep back, the band pierced and engraved with foliage. Gilt dust cap. White enamel with radial Roman numerals and outer Arabic minute track, Arabic five-minute numerals. Blued steel beetle and poker hands. Hinged gilt brass full plate with conical pillars, fusee with chain, cylinder escapement with steel escape wheel, plain brass three-arm balance, flat balance spring, gilt brass cock pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage, diamond endstone, worm gear set-up, silver regulation dial, repeating on a bell in the back of the case activated by depressing the pendant. Movement and dust cap signed. Diam. 50 mm. Notes Thomas Mudge (1715-1794) an apprentice of George Graham, was one of the first to produce constant-force watches. His ordinary watches with cylinder escapements are constructed along the same lines as Graham’s. In the 1760s he developed the free lever escapement. In 1765 he and Larcum Kendall examined Harrison’s marine watch. In 1771 Mudge retired, devoting himself to research on marine chronometers. Mudge also invented a free escapement with remontoir that was described in the “Philosophical Transactions” of 1794.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2008-11-16
