2,124 CHF
Ruby Duplex Escapement Vulliamy, London, No. cxx. The case with London hallmarks for 1808. Fine 18K gold pocket watch with ruby duplex escapement. Three-body, bassine, mastermark "IM", polished, spring-loaded covers, pushbutton at 3.30 to open back cover, at 2.30 the bezel, the back cover with faint engraved initials. White enamel, Breguet numerals, outer minute track, blued steel pierced heart hands. 41 mm, full plate, fire gilded, fusee and chain, Harrison’s maintaining power, ruby duplex escapement with ruby rest, balance and escape wheel jeweled and capped with diamond endstone on the balance top pivot, 3-arm steel balance, blued steel flat balance spring, single-footed cock with six spokes, silver regulator dial. Dial and movement signed. Diam. 50 mm. Notes Benjamin Louis Vulliamy, third-generation clockmaker, was Clockmaker to George III, inheriting the title from his father. The Vulliamy Cryptic Code The signature "Vulliamy" on its own was used between 1792 - 1854. The mysterious cryptic numbering code such as "cxx" used on the present watch has been a puzzle to horological historians for many years. An attempt to decipher this code was made by Vaudrey Mercer. See: "Benjamin Gray and The Vulliamys, An Attempt to Decipher the Cryptic Code which they used on their Watches", Vaudrey Mercer, Antiquarian Horology, September, 1983.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2007-11-11
