Joseph Johnson full hunter pocket watch with Liverpool jewelling
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1856
This is a 19th-century full hunter pocket watch signed by Joseph Johnson, Liverpool. According to the seller, the 55 mm sterling silver case features engine-turned guilloché decoration and Birmingham hallmarks indicating the year 1856.
The gilded full-plate movement is fitted with a fusee, an English lever escapement, an engraved balance cock, and screwed jewel settings known as Liverpool jewelling. A detachable gilt dust cap accompanies the movement. The seller also notes a white enamel dial marked 'Railway timekeeper quick beat' with a stop mechanism operated by a lever near 7 o'clock.
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
- Full hunter pocket watch
- Hallmarks
- Birmingham, 1856
- Jewelling
- Liverpool jewelling
- Case diameter
- 55 mm
- Case material
- Sterling silver
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker / attribution
- Joseph Johnson
- Movement description
- Full plate with fusee and English lever escapement
Design
- Visible features
- • Gilded full plate is engraved 'JOSEPH JOHNSON' and 'Liverpool'. • Engraved balance cock with regulator scale is visible above the balance wheel. • A detached circular gilt dust cap rests behind the movement. • Hallmarks are visible stamped into the interior of the opened silver case covers.
- Case and Hallmarking
- The movement is fitted inside a sterling silver full hunter case measuring 55 mm in diameter, which the seller states opens via a button on the crown. Hallmarks are visible stamped into the interior of the opened silver case covers. The listing identifies these marks as Birmingham hallmarks indicating the year 1856, although the listing title also references 1857. The seller further reports that the exterior of the hunter case has guilloché decoration.
- Identity and Movement Construction
- The timepiece features a gilded full-plate movement engraved with "JOSEPH JOHNSON" and "Liverpool". An engraved balance cock with a regulator scale sits above the balance wheel, and a separate circular gilt dust cap rests alongside the movement. According to the seller listing, the movement is a full-plate design equipped with a fusee and an English lever escapement. The seller notes that it features "large transparent jewels stopped with screws (also called 'Liverpool Jewelling')".
- Reported Dial Features and Stop Mechanism
- The dial side of the watch is not visible in the provided photograph. According to the seller's description, it features a white enamel dial with Roman numerals and mineral glass, signed "Railway timekeeper quick beat". The seller also records a small lever corresponding to numeral 7 that operates a toggle to stop the movement, referring to it as a stopwatch function. An accompanying key for winding and setting is also noted.
Identification
- Reference
- 1486586
- 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 dealer listing gives both 1856 and 1857 across the listing title and text.
- Research required: The dial and case exterior described in the text are not shown in this photograph.