English duplex pull-wind pocket watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1810 (movement), 1977 (case)
This open face pocket watch incorporates a movement dating to circa 1810 fitted into a custom-made English silver case hallmarked for London in 1977. The movement features a duplex escapement and an uncommon pull-wind crank mechanism operated via the stem cap.
The silvered dial exhibits guilloché sunburst engraving, Roman numeral hour markers, and an offset subsidiary seconds dial between the 2 and 4 o'clock positions, paired with blued steel hands. Measuring 51 mm by 18 mm, the case is finished with coin-edged sides, a rounded bow, and a domed mineral glass crystal.
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
- Open-face pull-wind pocket watch
- Dimensions
- 51mm x 18mm
- Escapement
- Duplex escapement
- Case Material
- English silver
- Case Hallmarks
- London 1977 with Jubilee mark
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Winding Mechanism
- Pull-wind stem crank
- Movement Inscription
- London and 18 under the dial
Design
- Visible features
- • Silvered dial with Roman numerals and an eccentric subsidiary seconds dial positioned around 3 o'clock • Blued steel hour hand with a spade/pear tip, blued minute hand, and blued seconds hand • Plain silver open face case with coin-edged band and spherical pendant topped with a round bow
- Dial Configuration
- The watch features a silvered dial decorated with sunburst guilloché engraving, bounded by an outer chapter of Roman numeral hour indicators. An eccentric subsidiary seconds dial is positioned off-center around 3 o'clock. Time is indicated by a set of blued steel hands, comprising an hour hand terminating in a pear- or spade-style tip, a minute hand, and a small subsidiary seconds hand. The dealer notes that the dial is scratched and faded.
- Movement & Winding Construction
- The watch is powered by an unbranded English gilt bridge movement dated by the seller to circa 1810. Internally, the mechanism features a duplex escapement and an atypical pull-wind system. Rather than standard key winding or conventional stem turning, winding is performed by repeatedly pulling the stem cap out and pushing it back in, which activates an underlying crank mechanism. Underneath the dial, the movement bears an incised signature of 'London' alongside the numeral '18'. The seller notes that movements of this specific mechanical arrangement were typically produced by Viner of London, but clarifies that this example carries no maker's signature. Evidence of repair is documented under the dial, where the seller reports a solder repair to the hour wheel.
- Case Manufacture & Provenance Limits
- The movement is housed in an English silver open-face case measuring 51 mm by 18 mm, constructed with a hinged back and bezel, coin-edged sides, and a domed mineral glass crystal. It features a spherical pendant topped with a round bow. The case is not contemporary to the movement; it was made as a later bespoke housing hallmarked in London for 1977, complete with the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee mark and sponsor/maker's mark 'LAO'. Because original case and movement records are not recorded in this source, the workshop of origin cannot be verified beyond the seller's stylistic comparison to Viner.
Identification
- Reference
- WE28 (AB-93203)
- 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 movement is not signed by a specific maker, though the seller notes similarity to Viner, London.
- Research required: The case was made much later in 1977 for the circa 1810 movement.