Ganthony Quarter Repeating Chronometer
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
early nineteenth century (case hallmarked 1873)
This pocket watch is a large quarter-repeating chronometer constructed by Ganthony, dating to the early nineteenth century and housed in a custom-fitted silver open-face case.
The watch utilizes a full-plate, gilded movement featuring a key-wound fusee mechanism integrated with Harrison’s maintaining power. The spring barrel is positioned beneath a bridge with a ratchet wheel and a blued steel set-up spring. The movement incorporates an Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement with jeweled locking and unlocking pallets, endstones, and screwed-in jewels. The balance assembly includes a three-arm gold balance with a deep rim, a blued steel spiral balance spring, a plain cock with a diamond endstone set in a polished steel seat, and a polished steel temperature-compensating bimetallic curb regulator.
The quarter-repeating mechanism is activated by pushing the pendant, striking two blued steel gongs. The watch features a white enamel dial with Roman numerals and a secondary seconds dial.
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
- Dial
- White enamel
- Type
- Quarter-repeating chronometer
- Maker
- Ganthony
- Escapement
- Earnshaw type spring detent
- Complication
- Quarter repeater
- Movement Type
- Full-plate, gilt
- Case Hallmarks
- London, 1873
- Place recorded
- England
- Maintaining Power
- Harrison’s
- Maker / attribution
- Ganthony
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is encased in a simple, robust open-face silver case. The case features a London hallmark dating to 1873. The silver construction includes a matching silver cuvette for winding, a silver push pendant, and a silver ring. Inside the case, the maker's mark 'JW & Co' is stamped within a rectangular frame. The dial is crafted from white enamel, featuring traditional Roman numerals for the hours. A secondary subsidiary dial is provided for the seconds. Time is indicated using gold hour and minute hands, contrasted by a blued steel seconds hand, which offers a distinct visual aesthetic against the white dial surface.
- Visible features
- • Full-plate gilded movement • Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement • Key-wound fusee mechanism • Quarter-repeating mechanism striking two gongs
- Movement and Escapement
- The watch is powered by a full-plate, gilded movement of key-wound fusee construction, which incorporates Harrison’s maintaining power to ensure continuous operation during winding. The spring barrel is secured beneath a bridge, complemented by a ratchet wheel and a blued steel set-up spring. Precision timekeeping is achieved through an Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement. Key components are jeweled, featuring screwed-in settings for the locking and unlocking pallets as well as the balance staff endstones. The balance system is designed for thermal stability, featuring a three-arm gold balance with a deep rim, a blued steel spiral balance spring, and a polished steel bimetallic curb regulator. A diamond endstone is set into a polished steel seat on the balance cock.
- Repeating Mechanism and History
- The watch incorporates a quarter-repeating complication, which provides an audible signal of the time when activated. The mechanism is operated via a push-pendant, allowing the user to strike the time on two separate gongs fashioned from blued steel. The discrepancy between the early nineteenth-century movement and the 1873 case hallmark suggests the potential for secondary re-casing or modernization.
Identification
- 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 dating to early nineteenth century differs from the 1873 silver hallmark on the case
- Research required: Possibility of subsequent re-casing or upgrade by a maker