Dent 18K Gold Pocket Chronometer with Original Box
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1863
This mid-nineteenth-century open-face pocket chronometer is signed by Dent, London, and numbered 29216. Housed in a solid 18K gold case bearing London hallmarks for 1863 and the maker's mark JWS, the watch is powered by a key-wound gilt fusee movement featuring a detent escapement, a free-sprung balance with large gold timing weights, and a helical hairspring.
The white enamel dial is configured with Roman numerals, blued steel hands, and a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock. It is preserved in its brass-bound three-tiered wooden box containing a bone disc numbered 29216.
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
- Pocket chronometer
- Dimensions
- 49 mm wide by 14 mm thick
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Case maker mark
- JWS
- Escapement type
- Detent chronometer escapement
- Maker / attribution
- Dent
- Maker's signature on dial
- Dent, 61 Strand, London, 29216
- Case material and hallmarks
- Solid 18K gold hallmarked London 1863
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial with black Roman numerals and an outer minute track. • Subsidiary seconds dial positioned at the 6 o'clock location with a blued steel hand. • Open-face gold case fitted inside an open wooden deck or transport box with top circular recess and key compartment. • Winding key rests in the upper lined recess behind the bow.
- Dial and Visible Presentation
- The pocket chronometer features a white enamel dial with black Roman hour numerals, an outer minute track, and blued steel hands, along with a subsidiary seconds dial positioned at 6 o'clock. The dial is signed "Dent, 61 Strand, London, 29216". The watch is fitted with a mineral glass crystal and is presented seated in the circular recess of its fitted wooden box with its winding key. A condition issue reported by the vendor on the enamel dial is a hairline crack extending from the 11 o'clock numeral toward the center.
- Case Construction and Hallmarks
- The timepiece is housed in an open-face solid 18K gold case measuring 49 mm in diameter and 14 mm thick. The case structure is described as having stepped sides, light engine turning on the back, and hinged front, back, and inner covers. The case is reported to bear London hallmarks for 1863, the maker's initials JWS, and the serial number 29216 matching the movement and dial. The interior case marks and case back are not shown in the primary photograph.
- Reported Movement and Escapement
- Although the movement is not visible in the provided image, it is described as a key-wound and key-set gilt fusee chronometer movement. The mechanism is reported to feature a detent escapement, a free-sprung balance with a helical hairspring, and large gold timing weights on the balance. The movement plate is reported to be engraved "Dent, Watchmaker to the Queen, Strand, London" and numbered 29216. A surface scratch across the word "London" is documented by the seller.
- Deck Box, Packaging, and Ephemera
- The watch is housed in a brass-bound three-tier wooden box measuring 103 mm by 85 mm by 52 mm, featuring a removable insert and a turned dimple in the wood inside the second-tier lid to accommodate the stem. An inlaid bone disc on the box is inscribed "Dent, 29216". The vendor notes accompanying provenance material, including a bill of sale on the base of the wooden box dated 1863 made out to a Mr. A. G. Johnson, as well as an outer cardboard box from the retailer Hamilton & Co, Calcutta.
Identification
- Serial number
- 29216
- 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: Movement and interior case hallmarks are not pictured in the provided view.
- Research required: The source reports a hairline fracture on the enamel dial extending from 11 o'clock toward the center.