calendar watch;
watch-case
- Museum number
- 1874,0718.74
- Description
-
SILVER CASED VERGE WATCH WITH DATE INDICATOR.
FRAME:
Circular gilt-brass plates with four pierced elaborate Egyptian-type pillars.
Riveted potence with engraved decoration on the visible side and a riveted counter-potence, the latter with a separate plug.
MAINSPRING AND BARREL
Gilt-brass barrel with a very large flange at one end only. Gilt-brass snap in cap. In the barrel wall a riveted steel hook and a single hole for chain attachment. Tangent-screw set-up mounted on the outside of the potence-plate. The worm gear contained in two cut-steel brackets, the left hand one broken There is a steel pointer for the set-up but the index disc is now missing. There is no transverse hole in the arbor to retain a disc. The wheel is made from steel and has teeth with square-cut tips.
FUSEE & STOP-WORK
Gilt-brass fusee with steel arbor and steel stop-hook. Originally designed for gut line and later converted for use with chain, the fusee itself probably re-cut and re-gilded. English stop-work with an elaborately pierced gilt-brass block.
TRAIN AND MOTION-WORK
Gilt brass four wheel train, the wheels with three crossings and decoratively turned collets. The contrate wheel replaced. The motion-work consists of a steel pinion of report and a brass dial wheel. On the dial wheel is a steel pinion which drives an idle pinion of steel which in turn drives a brass calendar wheel. Cut in the end of the calendar wheel arbor is a a pinion which drives the calendar ring.
TRAIN-COUNT.
Great wheel: 60 with pinion of report of 12 driving hour-wheel of 30.
2nd wheel: 42/6
3rd wheel: 36/6
Contrate wheel: 36/6
Crown wheel: 15/6
Fusee with 6.75 turns.
Hour-wheel 30 teeth and 10 leaf pinion.
Calendar idle pinion 14 leaf.
Calendar wheel 40 teeth and 4 leaf pinion.
Calendar ring 62 teeth.
Duration 34 hours 24 minutes.
:
ESCAPEMENT.
Verge escapement, the crown-wheel, verge and balance replaced. The watch was at one time fitted with a balance-spring, the stud remains in the potence-plate and there is a spring collet on the verge. Screwed to the plate is the original pierced foliate balance-cock.
:
DIAL AND HANDS.
Pinned to the pillar-plate is a narrow gilt brass-edge to which is pinned a silver champlevé dial. Around the perimeter the dial is engraved 1-31 for the date. Within this is a rotating steel ring on which was riveted a pointer to show the date. Only the two rivets now remain. Within the steel ring is a champlevé chapter-ring with radially set Roman hour numerals I-XII engraved in raised lozenges which are also aligned radial to the centre. Within the chapter-ring is an engraved ring calibrated for the quarters, with a cross at the hour, a line for the quarters and a dot at the half-hour. Around the centre an engraved foliate decoration.
The blued-steel hand is a modern replacement.
The case catch is an all-in-one steel bolt and spring with a thumb piece passing through the dial. The integral spring is mounted on the inside of the pillar-plate and curves round inside where it is screwed near the potence foot.
CASE
Plain silver case with a hinged, split glazed bezel. In the back a winding hole, the rotating cover now missing. The case is not marked. The silver pendant is a modern replacement.
TRAIN COUNT
Great wheel:60
Second wheel:42 pinion:6
Third wheel:36 pinion:6
Contrate wheel:36 pinion:6
Crown wheel:15 pinion:6
:
Beats per hour 15,750
:
Pinion of report:12
Dial wheel:30
Calendar pinion:10
Calendar idle pinion:14
Calendar wheel:40 calendar wheel pinion:4
Calendar ring:62
:
DURATION:
- Production date
- 1665-1675
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 45 millimetres (case)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- i. There are no published records of John Spence of London, except those which relate specifically to this watch.
ii. The conversion to chain on the fusee and the addition of the 3-arm balance and balance spring are possibly conversions made towards the end of the 17th century.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1874
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1874,0718.74