Carley & Clémence Tourbillon Centre-Seconds Deck Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1903
This 1903 open-face silver deck watch by Carley & Clémence features an annular tourbillon mechanism based on an ébauche by Andrew Taylor of Coventry. Housed in a hallmarked silver case with a rolled gold winding button and setting push-piece, the watch incorporates a white enamel dial with Roman numerals, fine outer graduations, and a centre-seconds hand.
The movement is fitted with an Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement, a Guillaume bimetallic balance with gold and platinum screws, and a blued steel overcoil balance spring. The brass carriage completes one rotation every ten minutes. Both the dial and the movement bear the British Government broad arrow property mark.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Tourbillon deck watch
- Balance
- Guillaume bimetallic balance
- Escapement
- Earnshaw type spring detent
- Hallmark Date
- 1903
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- ÉBauche Maker
- Andrew Taylor
- Carriage Rotation
- 10 minutes
- Maker / attribution
- Carley & Clémence
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial inscribed 'Carley & Clemence Ltd 51619' with black Roman numerals and the British Government broad arrow property mark. • Outer seconds track calibrated with 0.25-second subdivisions. • Blued steel centre seconds, hour, and minute hands. • Glazed silver open-face case without a pendant bow. • Fluted rolled-gold winding button and adjacent cylindrical hand-setting push-piece at the shoulder.
- Dial and Mechanism
- The enamel dial displays Roman numerals and a centre-seconds hand. It is marked with 0.4-second intervals. Both the dial and the internal mechanism bear the British Government broad arrow property mark. The movement utilizes an Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement and a Guillaume bimetallic balance with gold and platinum screws. The tourbillon carriage is composed of various brass parts and completes one rotation every ten minutes.
- Construction and Identity
- This 1903 open-face deck watch is signed by Carley & Clémence Ltd. It features an ébauche from Andrew Taylor of Coventry, marked with the serial number 51619. The silver case includes an inner dome, a hand-setting push-piece, and a rolled gold winding button, but is noted to lack a pendant ring. The watch is housed in a brass drum and a wooden box, which contains an ivory disc marked with the company name, serial number, and a British Government property mark.
- Historical and Technical Notes
- Museum records note that the movement is based on an ébauche by Andrew Taylor who patented a tourbillon mechanism in 1895, though the specific execution in this watch differs from the patent description. Documentation highlights ambiguity in the categorization of the revolving carriage, with official descriptions referring to it variably as a karussel or tourbillon mechanism.
Identification
- Serial number
- 51619
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The accompanying brass drum and altered wooden deck box described in the catalogue are not visible in the photograph.
- Research required: The source title questions whether the carriage mechanism is strictly a tourbillon or a karussel.