James McCabe 1834 Gold Lepine Calibre Duplex Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1834
This nineteenth-century open face pocket watch features a keywind gilt Lepine calibre bar movement with a duplex escapement, crafted by James McCabe of Royal Exchange, London, and hallmarked for London in 1834.
The movement incorporates a signed and numbered suspended going barrel, polished steel Geneva stopwork, a plain balance cock with a diamond endstone, and a three-arm gold balance with a blue steel spiral hairspring. According to the source, the 18-carat gold case was made by Charles August Petterman, featuring a ribbed middle, an engraved silver dial, and a dedicated inner cuvette.
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 pocket watch
- Casemaker
- Charles August Petterman, 12 Upper King Street
- Dimensions
- Diameter 40 mm Depth 6 mm
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Movement Design
- Keywind gilt Lepine calibre bar movement
- Reference Number
- A10968
- Maker / attribution
- James McCabe
- Hallmark Date and Location
- London 1834
Design
- Visible features
- • Gilt Lepine calibre movement layout with individual bridges and bars secured by blued steel screws. • Suspended barrel is engraved 'Ja.s M.cCABE Royal Exchange London' and serial number '14328'. • Visible steel Geneva stopwork mechanism mounted beside the barrel arbor. • Plain balance cock fitted with a steel regulator index pointing to a scale engraved 'Slow' and 'Fast', with an endstone setting. • Ribbed coin-edge pattern around the case middle band.
- Case and Dial Documentation
- The source describes an 18-carat gold open-face case measuring 40 mm in diameter and 6 mm in depth, with a ribbed middle band, an engine-turned back, and engraved initials within a circular cartouche. The cuvette is recorded as bearing a number corresponding to the movement, the maker's mark 'CAP' (associated in source text with Charles August Petterman, 12 Upper King Street), and an additional mark 'IMC'. The front is reported by the seller to feature a silver dial with a decoratively engraved centre, Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds, and blue steel hands. However, the available photograph depicts only the movement side and ribbed case middle; the dial, cuvette inscription, and exterior case back are not visible in the provided image.
- Identity and Calibre Layout
- This open-face pocket watch features a keywind gilt Lepine calibre bar movement attributed to James McCabe. The visible bridge layout uses individual bars and bridges secured by blued steel screws around a suspended going barrel. In visual inspection, the barrel is engraved 'Ja.s M.cCABE Royal Exchange London' and numbered '14328'. The source notes that McCabe produced a series of these Lepine calibre watches despite the design being generally unpopular among English makers. Dealer documentation lists the piece under reference number A10968 with London hallmarks dating to 1834.
- Escapement and Movement Details
- The movement is equipped with a duplex escapement with endstones fitted to the escape wheel pivots. The regulating assembly consists of a plain cock with a polished steel regulator, a diamond endstone, and a plain three-arm gold balance with a blue steel spiral hairspring. Mainspring control includes visible polished steel Geneva stopwork mounted next to the barrel arbor, partly under a gilt cover. Winding is carried out through the gold cuvette, which the source describes as signed, numbered, and engraved with an interior dedication.
Identification
- Reference
- A10968
- Serial number
- 14328
- 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 silver dial, cuvette dedication, and engine-turned case back noted in the source description are not visible in the provided photograph.
- Research required: The serial number 14328 is visible on the barrel plate in the photograph, though listed without a label under the source's technical specifications section.