Clock and watch expanded catalogue

Exceptional Clocks & Vintage Watches

F

elicitations, happy new year and a warm welcome to my spring 2018 clock and vintage wristwatch catalogue.

With the inaugural inclusion of the vintage wristwatches, I slightly feel as though I’m coming out of the closet with this catalogue, which is a little strange seeing as I have in fact been trading vintage wristwatches for over 2 years now. I don’t think I can say that wristwatches give me more pleasure than clocks, but they are undoubtedly a fascinating and dynamic field of collecting. Whilst clocks are reassuringly old school and academic, the world of vintage wristwatches is a fast-moving market, which is largely internet-based. If any look interesting to you, or if you have a wristwatch that you feel might be of interest to me, then do please get in touch and we can have a chat.

As for the clocks, I think this particular ‘ensemble’ is the most varied and colourful I have ever gathered together. I also hope you think that my prices are reasonable; having been an auctioneer I am acutely aware of the perceived dealer-versus-auction price gap, but hopefully you will agree that in this catalogue there is no such price disparity.

Lastly I would like to take this opportunity to say that if you do have a clock or wristwatch that you feel like selling then please do get in touch.

I hope the catalogue gives you great pleasure and if any of them should pique your interest then please get in touch and I feel sure there will be a deal to be made!

Best regards Ben

RAF WWII Electric clock An extremely rare second world war RAF electric sector slave dial with Synchronome Master; made for the Royal Observer Corps Dated 31st. December 1940 The Slave sector clock having an 18-inch diameter painted iron dial with blue, red and yellow inward-pointing triangles every 2-½ minutes with outer markers and inner 12 and 24 markers and counterbalanced black painted hands. The small electromechanical movement receiving a 30 second impulse from the Master.

The oak-cased Master clock is signed SYNCHRONOME ELECTRIC on the silvered dial with Roman numerals and blued steel spade hands, the movement of typical Synchronome form with pawl and wheel ‘escapement’ and cylindrical bob pendulum and beat scale in the base. The inside of the front door is applied with a brass plaque engraved AIR MINISTRY No. A.V.R. 251183 DATE 31.12.40 Master clock 50½ inches (128cm) high Slave dial 22½ inches (57cm) diameter £12,000 The RAF sector clock played a vital role in the fight for British air supremacy during the Second World War. The vast majority of surviving sector clocks are those with mechanical movements which were generally distributed throughout the Royal Air Force and their airfield bases. However the important work was done by just a few electro-mechanical master and slave sector clocks, which were made specifically for the Royal Observer Corps. It was these electric clocks that helped win the Battle of Britain.

The Royal Observer corps was started by the army but in 1929 they were absorbed into the Royal Air Force, which made sense given they worked solely in conjunction with the RAF. In 1936 Air Marshall Dowding took over the Observer Corps and under

his brilliant leadership he oversaw a new Air Defence System, which expanded the country’s warning and reporting system using a complex of radar towers and observation posts throughout the United Kingdom. With great foresight this clever system was accomplished just before the outbreak of war.

The information on enemy aircraft was taken from radar and also phoned in from hundreds of Observer Posts and gathered by vital filter stations, which in turn reported to the Fighter Command at Biggin Hill. When a group of enemy aircraft were discovered, either by the radar system and/or one of the hundreds of observer posts around Britain, the information regarding bearing, height and numbers was assimilated by one of 15 Group Filter Command bunkers around the country, each of which had one of these electric sector clocks.

These rooms, housed in underground bunkers, were manned 24-hours a day by 30-40 men and women in the Royal Observer Corps. The initial position of a group of enemy planes was plotted on the famous grid tables using markers which held the following information: 1. F/H or U for Friendly, Hostile of Unidentified 2. Serial number of the raid 3. Strength of numbers 4. Height in the air

Following each marker was a trail of colour counters, each one coded from the sector clock to give an upto-date 2½/5-minute position of each group of hostile aircraft. The initial colour being when contact was first recorded and then the colours changed according to the coloured sector that the minute hand was over. The colours formed a wake behind the advancing marker and that up-to-date position and information was passed by the filter station to Fighter Command whose job it was the scramble the correct squadron of Spitfires and Hurricanes at the right time so they could intercept the enemy with the maximum amount of fuel on board to reach the enemy with enough time to put up a good fight

before having to return to base before their fuel ran out.

Sector clocks initially had a different colour triangle every 10 minutes. By 1935 this was changed to every five minutes and in September 1943 there was deemed so much information to assimilate that the order was given to repaint all the sector dials to change colour every 2½ minutes – as in the present example.

The sector clocks were regarded as top secret and when being ordered from the General Post Office (GPO) they were referred to as “special timing equipment”.

The mechanical sector clocks were made in batches of hundreds, they were painted with the RAF symbol and their coloured triangles faced outwards. Mechanical sector clocks were never actually used for their true purpose by the Royal Observer Corps; that job was given to the tiny number of electro mechanical master clocks with their slave sector dials. This accounts for the fact that there are perhaps only as many as one electric sector clock for every 100-200 mechanical examples that survive to this day.

U.S. Army Air Force Sector Clocks The USAAF IXth Air Force operated jointly with the RAF’s 2nd Tactical Air Force in the Allied Expeditionary force from D-Day onwards, and they too used the sector method of plotting aircraft movements. The American sector clock is based on the same model as the US Navy bulkhead (ship’s) clock made by Seth Thomas, but their dials have the five minute coloured segments of an RAF clock.

They are smaller than the RAF examples, just 10 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep, with Bakelite cases. The hinged bezel has a milled Bakelite knob to the right side that screws down into a slot in the flange of the lower case.

THE USE OF THE CLOCK The USAAF sector clocks were used in tracking the movements of enemy aircraft from the information gathered from observers in the field and from mobile radars. The clock looks very different from the RAF examples but it has the same sequence of colours (red, yellow, blue) and is used in the 5-minute segments for each quarter of an hour.

Seth Thomas, U.S.A An extremely rare Second World War U.S. Air Force Sector clock 10 inches (25.5cm) diameter Circa 1942/3 CASE Black Bakelite circular case, the bezel with Bakelite hinge on the left side and milled Bakelite securing knob to the right, metal back DIAL Paper dial with red, blue & yellow five-minute and quarter sectors, 12 and 24-hour chapters in circles, black painted hands, signed MADE BY SETH THOMAS IN U.S.A. at the base MOVEMENT Simple going barrel movement with platform lever escapement £5,500

The Allied expeditionary Air Force was a vital supporting mobile unit operating from close behind the front line as it moved across Europe. Its HQs operated from tents and the clocks were transported in oak boxes. Because these sector clocks were based on the U.S. Navy bulkhead clock they were moderately waterproof, which was essential in a tent-bound existence in the field in a European winter!

A U.S. Air Force ops HQ in Europe. Note the sector clock in the upper left corner

Thomas Moss, London An unusual brass-bound mahogany striking bracket clock with enamel dial Circa 1820 The rectangular gilt-brass bound case has brass fish scale sound frets to the sides and top and pierced mahogany frets to the rear door.

The 8-inch diameter enamel dial has a Roman chapter ring with gilt-brass spade hands and a strike/silent lever at the top. The oval enamel signature plate below is signed Thos. Moss Ludgate Street London.

The twin chain fusee movement has long brass plates, five pillars and twin chain fusees, the going train with anchor escapement and the strike on the rack system striking on a bell fixed to the similarly signed backplate.

Together with a purpose-made wall bracket 15 inches (38cm) high ÂŁ5,500 Thomas Moss is recorded working in Ludgate Street, London, from 1786 to 1827

Unsigned A very pretty French shagreen-veneered humpback mantel timepiece Circa 1900 CASE The brass case is veneered the five sides with greendyed shagreen , it stands on gilt-brass bun feet and has convex brass mouldings framing the case to the front and rear.

DIAL The lovely white enamel dial has both Roman and Arabic numerals and pretty gilt-brass fleur de lys hands.

MOVEMENT The French brass movement has a single spring barrel and platform lever escapement 7ž inches (9.5cm) high £2,800

Thomas Weeks, Coventry Street, London A very rare satinwood, ebony & brass striking mantel clock Circa 1820 £8,500 The waisted case has brass bracket feet and a brass drum-head surmounted by an urn finial.

The white enamel dial is signed WEEKS Coventry Street London and it has Roman and Arabic numerals and well-pierced brass hands.

The rare striking movement has circular plates with twin gut fusees, the going train with anchor escapement in Week’s manner mounted on the backplate and pendulum with foliate-engraved wedgeshaped bob.

15 inches (38cm) high Thomas Weeks (1743-1834) established his museum of mechanical curiosities in Tichborne Street from 1788. Weeks was renowned for following the fashion established by James Cox for exhibiting highly ornamental automaton clocks as part of London’s great trade attractions, but he also made a small number of these pretty satinwood table clocks. They all had very similar waisted cases, usually veneered in satinwood which was occasionally embellished with polychrome foliate painted decoration. His movements for these clocks all had the anchor escapement mounted on the backplate in conjunction with his own pendulum, which had a wedge-shaped brass bob. Almost all of these clocks were timepieces, only a very few can be found with striking movements as in this instance.

Derek Roberts (Mystery, Novelty and Fantasy Clocks, Atglen, 1999, p.169) notes that when James Cox disposed of his museum by lottery in 1775 a number of pieces, including an automaton silver swan, now at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, were purchased

by Thomas Weeks who subsequently exhibited them in his own museum.

John Grant, London No. 161 A pretty Regency mahogany mantel timepiece with alarm Circa 1820 The break-arched brass-mounted case is raised on small brass bracket feet, it has pretty foliate-pierced brass sound frets to the sides and a small carrying handle to the top.

The silvered 4-inch silvered dial is signed GRANT Fleet Street LONDON No. 161, it has an engraved Roman & Arabic chapter ring with train track divisions, arrowshaped blued steel hands and a silvered alarm disc in the centre.

The movement going train has a brass spring barrel and gut fusee with verge escapement and bob pendulum. The alarm barrel is mounted on the backplate and wound through the right side of the case, the backplate is similarly signed GRANT Fleet street LONDON No.161.

10 inches (26cm ) high ÂŁ6,500

James Upjohn, London A small oak-cased 8-day longcase regulator with shallow break-arch dial Circa 1770 CASE The well-coloured oak case has a shallow breakarch hood which is surmounted by a brass ball finial and flanked by stop-chamfered reeded angles, the break arch trunk door has simple brass hinges, the plinth is fronted by a raised and fielded rectangular panel and the stepped base retains the original shaped apron foot.

DIAL The 10¼ inch x 13¼ inch break arched silvered regulator dial is signed Jas. Upjohn London with engraved Arabic chapters for the outer annular minutes and seconds rings with blued steel hands, the curved aperture displays the hours with Roman chapters.

MOVEMENT The substantial movement has tall thick brass rectangular plates with high quality wheel train, the deadbeat escapement is in Graham’s style and it has a very substantial iron-rod pendulum with massive brassfaced bob and calibrated rating nut 6 foot 4 inches high £8,000 James Upjohn The earliest we know about James Upjohn is in 1749 when he is recorded working in St. Martin Le grand. He then moved to Threadneedle Street and subsequently on to Lombard Street in 1765 where this clock was most likely made. He was in partnership with his son Francis until 1773 and upon his death Francis continued the business as James Upjohn & Co in Red Lion Street.

Interesting scratch marks The earliest clockmaker’s scratch mark we can we can find is on the inside of the front plate; JU (James Upjohn) 15th Feb. 1780 This suggests that the regulator was possibly Upjohn’s own domestic timepiece. Further scratch marks on the movement and the back of the dial indicate that the clock later went down to Exeter in Devon where other members of the Upjohn family – Edward, William, John & Thomas worked .

H.G. Blair & Co. Cardiff & Barry No. 2155 A fine rosewood and brass-bound two-day marine chronometer.

Circa 1905 7 inches (17.5cm) square box £2,800 DIAL The 101mm. silvered dial is signed H.G. BLAIR & Co. Makers to the Admiralty CARDIFF 7 BARRY DOCKS within the Roman chapter ring with gold spade hands.

The two subsidiary dials are for UP/DOWN calibrated 0-56 and seconds engraved 2155 in the centre, both subsidiary dials with blued steel hands.

MOVEMENT The movement has closely spotted plates, reversed fusee and spring barrel, the Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement has a jewelled locking stone and cut bimetallic balance with circular heat compensation weights and blued steel helical balance spring.

BOX The brass-bound box retains the original lid inset with a vacant cartouche, brass drop handles to the sides, the bone front plaque is engraved H.G. BLAIR & Co. MAKERS TO THE ADMIRALTY CARDIFF & BARRY. The inside of the centre section is pasted with Blair’s trade label; the brass bowl and fitting appear to retain their original lacquer finish, the bowl is punch-numbered 53633 Blair & Co. Blair & Co. was established by John Blair as Blair & Son in 1829. The firm remained in Princes St., Bristol until the owner saw potential for export trade in South Wales and set up in St. James’s St., Cardiff.

H.G. Blair retired in 1926 during the General Strike, which paralysed shipping and the firm was sold to a consortium of local ship owners, in 1927 it was renamed Blairs Nautical Supplies Ltd. Miss Nellie Ramsay, who joined the firm as a typist in 1908, continued in the service of Blair’s for many years and eventually jointly owned the firm with her sister Mabel; they both retired in 1970.

E. Dent & Co. London No. 55518 A very fine mahogany two-day marine chronometer.

Circa 1906 7¼ inches (18.5cm) square box £2,800 DIAL The 102mm. silvered engraved brass dial has Roman chapters with outer minute track, blued steel spade hands. The centre is signed DENT (within Trademark triangle) Maker to the King, 61 STRAND & ROYAL EXCHANGE, LONDON No. 55518 with up-and-down sector at XII calibrated 0-56, seconds ring at VI, both with blued steel hands.

MOVEMENT The full-plate movement has spotted plates, reversed chain fusee and spring barrel, the escapement with cut bimetallic balance with circular heat compensation weights, steel helical balance spring and Earnshawtype spring detent escapement with jewelled locking stone.

BOX Brass bowl punch-numbered 55516 to the inside with spring-loaded winding cover to the underside, gimbal and locking arm, tipsy winding key, baize-lined interior edge, fine quality three-tier mahogany box with enamel plaque to the centre section signed DENT (within Trademark triangle) 55518, vacant brass cartouche in the top lid, brass drop handles to the sides, the inside of the top lid is pasted with Dent’s trade label.

DENT Edward John Dent was born in 1790 died in 1853.

The triangular trademark seen on the front of the box’s mid section was first used in 1876 and applied to all clocks, watches and marine chronometers together with the appropriate address on the dial.

The Trademark was applied for under the joint names (then owners) Amelia Gardner, Thomas Buckney and Henry Dent. By this date Dent’s manufactory was in 4 Hanway Place in West London, just north of Soho Square and Oxford Street.

Edward Baker, London No. 902 A rare brass-cased 8-day mantel chronometer Circa 1815 – converted to mantel chronometer circa 1880 £4,800 CASE Original lacquered brass bowl and bezel with the addition of a fine quality folding handle with faceted, milled central section and folding feet to the base.

DIAL 4½ inch diameter silvered dial signed Edw. Baker LONDON 902 with Roman chapters with pretty blued steel hour and minute hands, subsidiary seconds at VI with delicate blued steel hand, up/down sector beneath chapter XII. MOVEMENT The movement with spotted brass plates, the main assembly carries the spring barrel, fusee and centre wheel, the sub assembly carrying the remainder of the train, the spring foot detent escapement of typical Earnshaw type, the bimetallic balance wheel with segmental compensation weights and blued steel helical balance spring.

Edward Baker, 1785-1821 Baker was a fine watch and chronometer maker who worked in White Lion Street, London from 1785-1805; then Angel Terrace in Islington, London up until his death in 1821.

Baker was a fairly prolific maker, one of his chronometers, number 681 was later used during the Artic Expedition in 1852 on HMS Assistance, whilst looking for Robert Le Mesurier McClure, who was trying to find the North West Passage.

These converted ‘Mantel chronometers’ were a clever way to continue the use of a fine quality timepiece when its wood case had either been damaged or lost.

This particular one has a fine quality handle which bears more than a little resemblance to the handles that Dent employed on a few of his special carriage clocks, also on those used on the very small series of nickelplated Nicole Nielsen carriage clocks with tourbillon escapement. It is more than possible that the same company who made the special cases for Dent and Nicole Nielsen also converted this chronometer to a mantel timepiece.

Whyte & Co. Glasgow, No. 3344 A very fine mahogany-cased eight-day marine chronometer Circa 1889 £5,500 DIAL The 127mm. diameter silvered dial is signed and numbered WHYTE & COY. MAKERS TO THE ADMIRALTY 144. BROOMIELAW GLASGOW 3344 with two further red-filled exhibition garter for the EDINBURGH EXHIBITION 1886 awarded SILVER MEDAL, Arabic outer minute track and inner concentric Roman hour chapters with fine quality gold spade hands, up-and-down sector at XII (0-8) and large seconds ring at VI numbered inside 3344 – both with blued steel hands.

MOVEMENT The movement has finely spotted brass plate with main frame carrying the barrel, reversed fusee and centre wheel, sub assembly with chain guard carrying the remained of the train and escapement with cut bimetallic balance with circular heat compensation weights, blued steel helical spring and Earnshaw-type spring foot detent with jewelled locking stone.

BOX Brass bowl punch-numbered 4745 on the inside and spring-loaded winding cover to the underside, threetier box with vacant bone plaque to the front, scalloped brass escutcheon to the bottom section, flush brass handles to the sides.

206 mm. square box

LITERATURE The number 4745 punched on the inside of the bowl indicates that Thomas Mercer & Co. supplied it circa 1889 Whyte, Thomson & Co was in business at 144 Broomielaw, Glasgow as nautical instrument suppliers and compass adjusters from 1872 to 1924.

Benjamin Vulliamy, London No. 442 A very rare documented ebony veneered striking mantel clock Sold on 10th September 1807 to Thomas Tatham of Marsh & Tatham, London’s leading cabinet makers The rectangular case with elaborate pierced wood side frets, ivory escutcheon and gilt brass liner to the front door, on a plain plinth base.

The 7-inch square Roman and Arabic dial is signed Vulliamy London 442 across the centre and with subsidiary dials in the upper corners for strike/silent and for pendulum regulation, with heart shaped hands The signed and numbered movement with thick plates united by five knopped pillars, twin chain fusees, the going train with half-deadbeat escapement, strike train with rack striking on a bell, the backplate signed Vulliamy London 442, front plate further punch numbered 442 Sold together with the original numbered brass crank winding key with rosewood handle and projecting square for subsidiary hand setting 10½ inches (27cm) high £14,000

PROVENANCE The severe appearance of this clock is probably unique in Vulliamy’s output, so it is worth noting that it corresponds precisely to the description of No.442 given in Vulliamy’s records, when it was sold to Mr Tatham of Mount Street, London, on 10 September 1807.

The relevant entry in the Day Book described the clock as: One of best eight day spring clocks Vulliamy 442, in square black ebony case with openwork sides and back @ 16 gns Although the case may be unique, the clock as a whole can be related to a small series of bracket clocks made

by Vulliamy at around this time, including No. 440, which was sold just two months earlier. The series seems to have been an attempt by the firm to produce a range of bracket clocks in the newly fashionable Greek Revival style, but at a modest price (15 guineas or £15-15s).

It is clear from entries in one of the surviving Vulliamy Clock Books [Note 3] that the case of No. 442, like those of the related series, was made by Thomas Brownley of 68 King Street, Golden Square, an independent cabinetmaker frequently employed by Vulliamy for non-standard work. He charged £2-16s which, even with an extra 6s-10d for the decorative frets, was less than half his charge for the more elaborate cases of the other clocks. On the other hand, the two-train movement of No. 442 was, as might be expected, significantly more expensive, being charged at £8-12s by Jackson, Vulliamy’s usual movement supplier at this date, compared to £5-16s for the timepiece movements of the others.

These cost comparisons highlight the apparent incongruity of putting a high quality movement in such a simple (though well-finished) case. There can be little doubt that the clock was specially commissioned, and a possible explanation for the plain case is that it was designed to be fitted into a larger decorative scheme.

It is therefore worth looking more closely at the purchaser Thomas Tatham, brother of the wellknown architect Charles Heathcote Tatham, and a leading partner in the firm of Marsh & Tatham, the most fashionable London firm of cabinetmakers and upholsterers at this time, whose customers included the Prince of Wales at Carlton House and other wealthy patrons This raises the possibility that the firm planned to fit the clock into a scheme of interior decoration being carried out for one of their customers. On the other hand, at just this time the company were also making extensive improvements to their own business premises at 13-14 Mount Street. This work included the installation of a new shop-front designed by John Linnell Bond, which was to be described, a few years later, as the ‘first shop front, acknowledged to have been worthy the name of architecture, and from which we may date the origin of all the expense and splendour that has succeeded, in adorning the houses of business.’ It may well be that Vulliamy No. 442 was intended to form part of the lavish embellishments which the partners were carrying out to their Mount Street premises.

When considering the possibility of a Royal commission, the 1807 date recorded in the Vulliamy Day Book becomes significant. Both Vulliamy and Thomas Tatham were working at the Prince Regent’s principal London residence Carlton House at exactly this time, and it is possible that the clock may have been made for one of the rooms that were undergoing

refurbishment. In a letter of June 1808, Tatham revealed that over the previous two years he had provided furnishings and goods to the Prince to the value of approximately £30,000, including chandeliers, furniture, wall hangings and carpets .This amount equates to roughly £1.8 million today giving an idea of the scale of the work that Thomas Tatham was involved with at Carlton House; it also makes the suggestion of a cabinet maker providing a clock seem less unlikely. Indeed only the previous year, Marsh and Tatham are recorded supplying a number of pieces of ebony and ivory veneered furniture including a set of four bookcases with ebony marquetry in the Greek revival style, for the library at Carlton House at a cost of £820. Whilst all are of a more elaborate design than the offered lot, the adoption of the Greek style and the prolific use of ebony in the library scheme, suggest a link between the two. Since the clock is numbered, it may even be possible to trace it in the Royal Accounts for the library at Carlton House.

Although principally occupied by their Royal commissions, Marsh and Tatham were working for a number of other important clients at this time. Between 1806 and 1810 they supplied a suite of ebony dining furniture for Sir Henry Fetherstonhaugh of Uppark, as well as library furnishings for Sir Henry Harpur of Calke Abbey in Derbyshire. In 1807 the firm invoiced the 3rd Earl of Mansfield at Kenwood and supplied a bath chair to the 3rd Earl of Egremont at Petworth.

Conceivably any of these individuals could have bought the Vulliamy clock from Thomas Tatham, but at this point it seems most likely that the clock was either for Tatham’s personal use at his Mount Street premises, or for one of the newly refurbished rooms at Carlton House.

Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy, London No. 1142 Circa 1825 A very handsome architectural rosewood mantel clock with strike and repeat The well-figured rosewood veneered case has a carcass of solid mahogany, the base is raised on adjustable giltbrass squab feet, the sides are brass-framed and glazed and the stepped architectural top is enhanced with an ebony ripple-moulded cornice.

The 10cm wide arched dial is signed VULLIAMY LONDON beneath the Roman chapter ring which has pierced blued steel hands and a strike/silent lever at the base of the dial.

The very fine quality movement has thick brass plates with five baluster pillars; twin spring barrels and chain fusees, the going train has a half deadbeat escapement with typical pendulum with steel rod and large brass bob with the original pendulum holdfast. The strike train chimes the hours on a bell on the backplate which is further signed VULLIAMY LONDON 1142 10 inches (25cm) high ÂŁ22,000

Thomas Wright, Lisle Street, London A very good small burr oak striking library clock.

Circa 1820 ÂŁ8,500 CASE The well-proportioned case has a stepped and chamfered top with glazed sides and adjustable brass bun feet.

DIAL The 5 inch wide silvered arched dial is signed THOMAS WRIGHT Lisle Street LONDON beneath the engraved Roman chapter ring with pretty heart-shaped blued steel hour hand and plain minute hand.

MOVEMENT The twin chain fusee movement has substantial brass plates which are united by five tapered pillars, the going train has anchor escapement with the original pendulum together with the traveling holdfast on the backplate, the strike train chimes the hours on a mellow gong 12½ inches high

Thomas Tompion, London No. 118 A very fine walnut eight-day longcase clock.

Circa 1687 CASE The rising hood is flanked by walnut twist columns supporting the flat moulded cornice with wellpierced walnut sound frets to the frieze beneath.

The inside of the hood is pasted with a label for the IDEN COLLECTION with the inventory number 1297. The trunk has a convex throat moulding above the long rectangular door, which is inlaid with geometric boxwood stringing and centred by a glazed lenticle. The plinth base appears to be original but the walnut bun feet are fine replacements.

DIAL The 10 inch square brass dial is signed THO: TOMPION LONDINI FECIT at the base of the dial within the wheatear border engraving. The silvered chapter ring has Roman and Arabic numerals with sword hilt half hour divisions and finely pierced and sculpted blued steel hands. The matted centre has shuttered winding holes and there are fine quality gilt-brass winged cherub spandrels in each corner, the dial plate is secured to the movement front plate by four latched feet.

MOVEMENT The movement has long brass plates; typical of Tompion’s early period and the plates are latched together by six brass ring-turned baluster pillars.

The going train has an anchor escapement with bolt-and-shutter maintaining power with a steel lever to the right side of the movement operated manually via a pull cord on the inside of the trunk. The strike train is regulated by an internal countwheel with the hours struck on a bell of later date. The backplate is punch-numbered 118 to the top right corner.

Height 6 foot 5 inches ÂŁ115,000

Provenance The Walter Iden Collection, inventory No. 1297, circa 1935-40 Christie’s, New York, 16th 1998, lot 22, sold for $177,000 (£120,000) Literature Illustrated in Thomas Tompion 300 Years by Jeremy Evans, Jonathan Carter & Ben Wright, pages 462 & 463 This elegant walnut longcase by Thomas Tompion was made in 1687 and it is a quintessential and wellpreserved example of one of Tompion’s early longcase clocks.

AG Fly stamp The first is the AG stamp on the fly. There are only tow examples of Tompion’s work that we know about, Number 120 and Number 118 whose fly has the cast mark AG. It is believed this is for Ambrose Gardner, one of Tompion’s leading workmen.

Hood Locking mechanism Another fascinating feature about is the vestigial iron hood locking mechanism inside the trunk.

Tompion experimented with a number of hood locking mechanisms in his early years up to about 1695 when his hoods were universally given a simple swivel latch.

This mechanism is now partially removed but what remains is the iron spring, part of the iron hood catch and the corresponding ‘receiving hole’ inside the hood.

No. 118’s locking mechanism is specifically designed for a rising hood. The remains of the system are an iron spring and catch tucked away inside the upper left corner of the trunk by the throat moulding. It was a simple system whereby when the trunk door closed on the lower iron arm of the spring-loaded catch pushing the upper arm inwards to hook into a hole drilled into the inside of the hood. Once locked it would have been impossible to access the dial unless the truck door was re-opened.

As far as it is known this is the only surviving example to have survived, albeit only partially.

George Graham, London No. 661 A very handsome numbered walnut 8-day longcase clock with numbered case and movement and original weights and pendulum Circa 1725 Height 8 feet ÂŁ75,000 CASE The fine quality case has a double-footed plinth with handsome walnut veneers matching the trunk door with herringbone line inlay. The trunk door has lovely walnut veneers and the original robust brass hinges the front leading edge of the door is clearly numbered 661. The hood has brass-capped three quarter columns flanking the dial beneath well-pierced walnut sound frets and a fine quality caddy top.

DIAL The very handsome 12 inch square gilt-brass dial is signed Geo: Graham London on the bottom edge beneath the silvered chapter ring which has Roman and Arabic numerals, typical lozenge half hour makers and the original finely pierced and shaped blued steel hands. The well-matted centre has a large diameter silvered seconds ring with blued steel hands and a calendar aperture with pin-hole adjustment beneath a silvered brass oval plaque signed Geo: Graham London.

The winding holes have the original matted shutters, which are operated via a steel lever to the right side of the dial by chapter III. The corners of the dial are applied with double-screwed Indian-mask-and-foliate gilt-brass spandrels with foliate engraving between. The dial plate is secured to the movement front plate by four latched dial feet

MOVEMENT The very fine quality movement is almost entirely original throughout. The thick brass plates are held together with latches by five robust baluster pillars.

The going train has an anchor escapement with the original tapered steel crutch and the original pendulum, which retains the massive brass bob with its calibrated silvered rating nut. The strike train operates via a lovely slender steel rack system on the front plate and strikes the hours on the bell raised on a steel stand above the plates. The backplate is correctly numbered 661 on the base of the backplate and the movement is secured on the case on the original seatboard and by means of a brass movement bracket screwed to a T-bar at the top of the oak backboard.

Provenance 1964, with G.E. Bell, clock dealers, Winchester Literature Evans, Carter & Wright, Thomas Tompion 300 Years, 2013 page 609 Jeremy Evans, Thomas Tompion at the Dial and Three Crowns, 1993, page 84

Henry Jones, London A very rare silver-mounted ebony Dutch-striking table clock of small size Circa 1690 11½ inches (29 cm) high £150,000 CASE The case has a simple moulded base which is raised on ebony bun feet each of which is over-laid with foliate silver mounts, the sides are glazed with a pull repeat cord operated on either side, the front door is applied with foliate escutcheons and the cushionmoulded top is applied with beautiful foliate-cast silver mounts and the case is surmounted by a fine foliatetied D-ended silver handle.

DIAL The 6 inch square dial has a handsome skeletonised silvered Roman and Arabic chapter ring with intricately pierced blued steel hands and silver spandrels to each corner.

MOVEMENT The fine quality movement has thick brass plates secured by five pillars pinned to the frontplate; the upper two of typical ringed form, the central pillar of octagonal faceted form and the base pillars flattened on the base and sides, internal rack strike on the Dutch system on two bells of different tone, large spring barrels with gut lines to the narrow fusees, reconverted verge escapement, the backplate with typical elaborate brass barrel clicks and wishbone spring at the base above the signature Henricus Jones within simple border engraving Provenance Dr. John Taylor OBE collection, Isle of Man, 20002017 Christie’s, London, 13th December 2000, lot 103, sold for £146,000 Literature Horological Masterworks, published by Dr. John Taylor and The Antiquarian Horological Society together with the Museum of the History of Science, 2003 Illustrated on pages 154 & 155 Exhibited The Museum of the History Of Science, Oxford, 29th March – 22 June, 2003, exhibit No. 33

HENRY JONES Henry Jones, who was born circa 1642 and died in 1695, was one of the most important English clockmakers of the last quarter of the 17th century.

He is thought to have been the son of William Jones, Vicar of Boulder, Southampton. Having begun his apprenticeship with Benjamin Hill in August 1654 he was passed over to the great and eminent clockmaker Edward East and eventually given his Freedom in July 1663.

Between 1664 and 1693 he had fourteen apprentices including his two sons William and Henry. The number of Apprentices taken by a Master can be read as a barometer for how prosperous his workshop was. The average might have been approximately five.

From The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain (B. Loomes 1981) comes a series of interesting incidents that have been recorded in the Clockmakers’ Company records:January 1673 (Jones) complained that Robert Seignor had erased his name from a Royal clock (or had caused Edward Stanton to do it.)

In November 1678, he was on a special meeting which suspended John Matchet for being a Catholic.

In July 1679 he had a great quarrel with the fiery John Nicasius, in which the latter was judged to be wrong.

In October 1692 he gave £100 for the use of the poor.

It is difficult to get a clear insight into Jones’s character from this scant information but it would appear that he was quite a political animal in the Clockmakers’ Company. Indeed he was an Assistant in 1676 aged 34, Warden 1687-90 and Master in 1691. One gains the impression that he was a just person although there may be other less favourable unrecorded incidents to balance this good record.

From his clockmaking style it is obvious that Henry Jones was an individualist; his cases, dials and movements had a character all of their own. The present clock displays many typical features such as the lean case mouldings above and below the dial, the slightly squat cushion-moulded top and typical foliate cast mounts - on this occasion cast in precious silver.

Jones’ typical characteristics on the dial include heavy dots between every five minute interval and heavy wellbalanced blued steel hands.

The movement has early style fusees and Jones’

unusual square-sectioned pillars securing the thick plates. Perhaps most typical is the manner in which the backplate is engraved and the visible click wheels for the set-up to the main springs secured by an elaborate wish-bone brass spring.

Dutch Striking (whereby the hour is struck at each half hour on a smaller bell) was also a feature occasionally used by Jones, along with one or two other traditional makers such as the Fromanteels.

Silver mounts & Skeleton chapter rings Some of the rarest features found on spring clocks of this date are the use of silver mounts and skeletonized chapter rings. Although skeletonized chapter rings had been used on the Continent at an earlier date, very few London makers used them; perhaps because they were time-consuming and very delicate to make.

In this famous book The Knibb Family Clockmakers, R.A. Lee noted Few makers in London, ever used skeleton chapter rings, Clement, Barrow, Dingley, Tompion, Seignor, Henry Jones and Joseph Knibb. The first five only used them in isolated instances; there are about six known

by Jones, but Joseph made at least thirty.

In the late 17th century the use of silver mounts was extremely expensive, but when applied to clock cases with ebony veneers they were especially pleasing to the eye. Silver mounts were the ultimate luxury and would only have been special commissions used only on the makers’ finest quality clocks. It is reputed that Charles II only allowed his London clockmakers to mount a clock case in silver if it was a special commission by a member of his Royal Court. Whilst this claim may be a little fanciful, in all likelihood most of the silvermounted clocks made at this time were probably made for members of the Royal Court because in truth, at that time they were the wealthiest people in the Land.

Richard Colston, London An extremely rare small silver-mounted ebony striking table clock with pull quarter repeat and alarm Circa 1690 12¾ inches (32.5 cm) high £65,000 CASE The ebony-veneered case is profusely mounted in solid silver with an unusual ribbon-tied handle surmounting the domed top which has silver foliate-cast mounts applied to the four sides whilst the four corners are set with gadrooned flaming urn finials. The sides of the case have small silver frets above glass panels and the front door is applied with ‘fat’ winged cherub escutcheons, a further silver sound fret to the top rail and a partial fret to the lower rail.

DIAL The fully latched dial 6¼ inch square brass dial is signed Rich Colston London on the silvered chapter ring, it has solid silver winged cherub spandrels to the corners and two selection levers above the chapter ring for hour strike / silent and alarm on / off. The matted centre has three winding holes for going, strike and alarm and a central silvered alarm disc is set against the ‘spur’ of the finely pieced blued steel hour hand.

MOVEMENT The very high quality movement has seven latched and ring-turned pillars with twin gut fusees, the going train has verge escapement and short bob pendulum; the strike train has rack strike on a bell with pull quarter repeat system chiming the quarters on three bells.

The backplate is fully engraved with scrolling foliage and tulip heads and it is elegantly signed Rich Colston London within a central cartouche Richard Colston is listed in The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain as having served his apprenticeship under his father John; he was Freed from the Clockmakers’ Company in 1682. Between 1682 and 1702, he took on five apprentices, including his own son Thomas.

He last paid quarterage to the Company in 1682 and probably died soon afterwards – his widow Hester is later noted in the Company records for receiving charity from the Company.

John Bayley, London A rare and unusual turtleshell and ebony striking table clock with quarter repeat Circa 1710 12½ inches (32cm) high £35,000 The case is surmounted by a handsome gilt-brass foliate-tied handle above a ‘roofed’ sloping top, each side set with a foliate-pierced ebony sound fret. The sides of the case are glazed and have unusual ebony line-inlay.

The 6¼ inch square dial is signed Jno Bayley London on the silvered chapter ring, the matted centre has both calendar and a mock pendulum apertures with a wheatear engraved border and there is a strike/silent lever above chapter XII. The movement has twin fusees and a knife-edge verge escapement with a rack and snail strike. The hour strikes on a bell and the pull quarter repeat operates on a nest of six smaller bells. The backplate is beautifully engraved with foliage and signed in the centre John Bayley London within a foliate cartouche.

12½ inches high 6½ inches deep Provenance: • Private collection, Kent Comparative literature: • P.G. Dawson, C.B. Drover & D.W. Parkes, Early English Clocks, 1964, figs. 683/4

Comments The arresting ebony and turtleshell-veneered case bears a close resemblance to the mouldings and in particular the rear door of a turtleshell-veneered clock

by Jonathan Pullar illustrated in Early English Clocks, op cit. In case-design chronology, the unusual angled top fits within a small time-period just prior to the popularity of the metal basket top.

John Bayley, London John Bayley was born circa 1678 and apprenticed from 1692 until 1699 to John Hunt, who was listed as a watchmaker. He was freed in July 1700 having first been transferred to William Bartram, probably because Hunt was going blind. Bayley had a prodigious number of apprentices; no fewer than seven passed through his workshops between 1701 and 1719. In spite of such an apparent workload very few clocks by Bayley have survived and only one watch is known with a gold case marked for 1712. In such cases it is more likely that Bayley was an ‘outworker’ supplying specialist work for other workshops.

Thomas Cole, London Retailed by Arnold, London No. 505 A very fine quality engraved gilt-brass striking carriage clock Circa 1835-1840 8 inches (20cm) high ÂŁ28,000 CASE The substantial heavy case has exceptional floral and trellis engraved panels to the sides, a solid rear door and buttress volutes applied to the chamfered front angles. The top of the case is set with a glass escapement-viewing aperture and the lovely curved carrying handle is cast with foliage.

DIAL The silvered brass dial is entirely engraved with lovely scrolling foliage with flower heads, it has blued steel fleur de lys hands and is signed Arnold London in a foliate reserve beneath the painted Roman chapter ring.

MOVEMENT The twin fusee movement has a high quality platform escapement with bimetallic compensated balance, underslung lever escapement with maintaining power to the going train fusee. The strike train has hour strike on a gong on the backplate which is signed Arnold London 505

John Liddell, Morpeth A fine George III black and gilt lacquer tavern clock Circa 1795 56 inches (142cm) high ÂŁ7,500 The case with the original raised gilt Chinoiserie decoration to the trunk door depicting two Chinese figures standing in front of a house; further faded decoration to the sides of the trunk. The clock is signed Jno Liddell Morpeth just above the trunk door in slightly faded gilt lettering. The 26-inch circular convex wood dial has gilt Roman & Arabic chapters and brass spade hands. The single train movement has A-shaped brass plates with anchor escapement, pendulum and rectangular lead weight

John Liddell 1758-1820 was a fine clockmaker from Morpeth a town in Northumberland situated between Newcastle on Tyne and Alnwick.

C. L. Reid writes in North Country Clockmakers, 1981, p. 64 of two other wall clocks known to exist by John Liddell; 1. Hanging clock, about 3 feet, painted black with old Chinese figures 2. Wall clock, with large dial in head, 27 inches in diameter, with trunk below 29 inches long. Made for Admiral Roddam about 1797

Richard Street(e), London A particularly fine George I walnut longcase clock Circa 1710 CASE The hood is surmounted by a moulded caddy top with three cast brass ball finials on walnut pedestals.

Delicately pierced walnut long rectangular sound frets to the sides and to the double frieze frets above the door. The door itself is flanked by brass-capped three quarter columns with similar quarter columns to the rear. Concave throat moulding above the rectangular trunk door with D-end mouldings and veneered with four panels of well figured walnut. Each side of the trunk is veneered with twin walnut panels framed with herringbone line inlay. The plinth is similarly veneered with single panels of walnut framed with herringbone inlay and further raised on double skirting with concave and D-end mouldings.

DIAL The 12 inch brass dial is signed Richard Streete London on a rectangular reserve at the base of the dial which is entirely framed by wheatear engraving.

The unusual spandrels are double screwed and cast with twin cherubs supporting a classical female head with foliate diadem. The silvered brass chapter ring has Roman hour numerals with sword hilt half hour markers, similar sword hilt half quarter markers to the outer ring with Arabic five minute divisions. The centre of the dial is finely matted with a silvered seconds ring above chapter XII and calendar aperture above chapter VI. Finely pierced blued steel hour and minute hands.

The dial is secured to the movement front plate by four dial feet each of which are individually latched MOVEMENT Comprising two long thick brass movement plates held together by six knopped and ring-turned pillars each with individual latches. The going train has anchor escapement with a particularly delicate steel anchor pivoting at the backplate on a chamfered brass backcock suspending the pendulum with steel rod and brass-faced bob. The strike train with internal countwheel strike on a bell above the movement plates with manual trip lever to the left side to re-set the strike as necessary. The brass-cased weights are suspended on brass pulley and gut lines.

8 foot (244cm.) high over all.

Price: ÂŁ15,000

RICHARD STREET, LONDON Richard Street was a most noteworthy clockmaker who until recently appears to have escaped any close scrutiny.

He is noted in Thomas Tompion at the Dial and Three Crowns by Jeremy Evans (Antiquarian Horology, 2006, p. 114), as An outstanding clockmaker whose origins have not been ascertained. Made Free in 1687, he is believed to have worked in Fleet Street, and there is clear evidence that he was responsible for some of Tompion’s repeating watch movements.

Richard Street(e) was noted principally as a watchmaker.

Nothing is recorded about his apprenticeship but as mentioned above there is clear evidence that he must have spent at least some of his early formative years at Tompion’s workshops. He is recorded as being made Free of the Clockmakers’ Company in September 1687.

However his contact with the Company was minimal, there is no record of his taking any apprentices but he was made an Assistant in 1713 and Warden in 1716, but was excused duties as he ‘had urgent business on his hands’.

He was initially recorded as ‘probably’ working in Shoe Lane then in 1716 he was recorded as residing in Fleet Street when he was involved with William Wright in taking over the running of St. Paul’s clock from Langley Bradley.

WORK KNOWN CLOCKS: The Octagon Room, Greenwich Observatory: astronomical longcase clock in panelled ebony case.

Originally thought to have been designed to help make angular measurements to establish the position of a celestial body in the heavens. The minute hand rotates every 10 minutes each hour and thus doubles as a seconds hand if you can read the dial well enough.

This clock is thought to have originally belonged to Sir Isaac Newton ‘The Black Clock on the staires’ mentioned in the inventory of Newton’s affects found after his death in his house in Jermyn Street.

Trinity College, Cambridge observatory clock. Made in 1708 for the observatory above the college gates and presented to the college by Sir Isaac Newton. It shows the seconds in the arch – perhaps the first use of this feature.

Ebony wall clock of two month duration with ‘extending’ hour hand. Weight-driven wall clock with rounded triangular hour ring on the dial – the single hour hand operates on a cam wheel behind the dial,

minute ring below. The dial is engraved with a rose and a thistle thought to commemorate the Act of Union in 1707 between the English and Scottish Parliaments.

(Sotheby’s, Nine English Clocks, 28 May, 1982, lot 5, £22,000) Turret clock made for the stable block at Osterley Park House, punch signed and dated 1714.

Queen Anne gilt-brass miniature ‘travelling’ timepiece, about 1710 in date. Breakarch case engraved on the sides and top, loop handle at top, signed Richd. Street on a blued steel plaque in the matted centre. 8 ½ inches high.

There are a total of only eight longcase clocks recorded made by Street, including the two listed above.

It is highly likely that Richard Street made certain watches for Thomas Tompion. There is currently no known documentary evidence to support their collaboration, although the physical evidence is compelling. Apart from the close locality of their workshops and the undoubted similarity of their work there are examples of Tompion’s watches that are scratch-signed RS. Furthermore, the only recorded example of a watch which uses Tompion’s watch repeat system, but not signed by him, is an example signed by Street.

It is also interesting to note that Richard Street published an equation table that was virtually identical to one published by Tompion (The Longcase Clock by Tom Robinson, fig. 8/16) – the title and instructions, as well as the equation table are exactly the same.

It seems highly unlikely that a man of Tompion’s standing and position in the horological world would have allowed such latitude unless there was already a certain working relationship between the two of them.

Street was patently a very talented clock and watchmaker with an inquisitive scientific mind. Many of his clocks and watches have singularly unusual dials with scientific indications and strange lay-outs.

The movements and cases are always of the very highest quality and are rarely alike. He also had some significant contacts in the scientific and aristocratic echelons of society, not least having made one or possibly two clocks for Sir Isaac Newton.

Matthew Dutton, London A fine and particularly well-proportioned mahogany longcase clock Circa 1790 6 foot 5 inches (195cm) high £15,000 CASE The hood is surmounted by an architectural pediment above a plain frieze and the dial is flanked by stopchamfered reeded angles. The trunk has a concave throat moulding above the long rectangular door, the base is fronted by a raised rectangular panel, which is supported on the original skirted plinth.

DIAL The 11½ inch square silvered brass dial is signed Matt Dutton London within the Roman and Arabic chapter ring.

The delicate blued steel hands are fine pierced and there is the addition of a calendar aperture above chapter VI. MOVEMENT The fine quality movement has thick brass plate with five robust baluster pillars. The going train has anchor escapement with maintaining power and a steel-rod pendulum with a large brass-cased bob and milled rating nut.

Matthew Dutton was the son of the eminent clockmaker William Dutton who was apprenticed to George Graham and in partnership with Thomas Mudge. Matthew was apprenticed to his father in 1771 and later in partnership with him in Fleet Street, London. He was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers’ and in the year 1800 became Master. Matthew had a son (also called Matthew) who was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers’ in 1815.

Eardley Norton, London No. 2529 A fine mahogany striking table clock with original verge escapement and trip repeat Circa 1780 18½ inches (47cm) high £7,500 CASE The mahogany veneered case rests on four scrolling foliate-case gilt-brass feet, the sides and rear of the case are glazed and a brass handle surmounts the concave-moulded bell top DIAL The 6ž inch wide gilt-brass dial is signed Eardley Norton London 2529 on a silvered sector in the finely matted centre with calendar aperture, the silvered chapter ring has Roman and Arabic chapters with the original pierced brass hour and minute hands, foliate spandrels to the four corners and a narrow strike/silent dial in the arch.

MOVEMENT The twin gut fusee movement has thick brass plates joined by five pillars; the going train has the original verge escapement with foliate engraved apron to the backcock and holdfast on the backplate. The strike train operates on a rack system with hour strike and trip repeat on a bell which is held above the movement, the backplate is finely engraved with scrolling foliage and a central basket of flowers; together with the original foliate-engraved case/movement securing brackets.

William Payne & Co. London An exceptional rosewood architectural mantel timepiece Circa 1830-1840 £11,500 10½ inches high with handle down 17½ inches high including wall bracket CASE The architectural case is dominated by four beautifully carved rosewood fluted columns at each angle on out-set plinths; the top has a plain gallery frieze and the original bevelled glass is set into the centre to view the escapement. The superb quality gilt-brass handle retains the original gilding and is cast with an octagonal centre and exquisitely chased foliage DIAL The dial is almost entirely decorated with sumptuous tightly engraved scrolling foliage; the plain gilt chapter ring has Roman chapters, delicate pierced blued steel heart-shaped hands and is signed PAYNE & Co. 163 NEW BOND St. LONDON MOVEMENT The high quality brass movement has a single chain fusee and spring barrel with maintaining power to the fusee, deadbeat escapement with high quality brass pendulum. The backplate is signed Payne & Co. 163 New Bond Street LONDON beneath the pendulum holdfast WALL BRACKET The fine quality purpose-made wall bracket is veneered with rosewood with a gallery frieze matching the frieze to the top of the clock case.

NOTES This very bold masculine clock case and dial is so unusual that it was quite likely made to order to emulate the architecture in a particular room – for example a library with free-standing columns or atop a fireplace flanked by carved stone or wood columns. The solid rosewood columns are exquisitely carved with just a tiny amount of entasis to give each one a very gentle convex curve and the fluting still retains the sharp edges.

The foliate engraving on the dial is of the finest quality and at least as good as any of the decoration on the cases made by Thomas Cole.

The movement is elegant in its simplicity and quality with maintaining power, deadbeat escapement, screwed collet for the escape wheel and high-count pinions.

William Payne & Co 1811 - 1875 163 New Bond Street, London William Payne is first recorded in 1816 at 62 South Moulton Street London. By 1825 he has moved to 163 New Bond Street where the company remains until the 20th century.

Bibliography Loomes, B. (2006). “Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World”, N.A.G. Press, London Britten, F.J. (1986). “Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers - A History of Styles in Clocks and Watches and their Mechanisms”, Bloomsbury Books, London

Thomas Hughes, London A rare mahogany miniature 8-day longcase regulator.

Circa 1780 ÂŁ14,500 CASE The diminutive case is constructed of veneered solid mahogany with a raised panel to the front of the plinth which is raised on moulded double skirting. The trunk has a breakarch door with the original brass hinges and lock, the sides of the trunk have moulded mahogany pockets to the to accommodate the pendulum bob.

Brass reeded angles and solid mahogany panels to the sides flank the breakarch hood and the top is surmounted by an elegant concave moulding surmounted by a brass ball finial.

DIAL The silvered brass regulator dial is fully latched and signed Thomas Hughes London in the arch. The regulator layout has delicate blued steel hands for the seconds and minutes and an aperture for the hours and shuttered winding hole.

MOVEMENT The very high quality 8-day movement has tall brass plates conjoined by six pillars with large brass latches.

The fine wheel train has six crossings to each wheel and an elegant Graham-type deadbeat escapement with steel-rod pendulum and a massive brass-cased bob; bolt-and-shutter maintaining power and the original thick mahogany seatboard.

6 foot (183cm.) high

Thomas Hughes was apprenticed in 1734 to his father, also Thomas (d. 1753). His working dates were 17421785, a remarkable run of 43 years at his workshops in New Broad Street Buildings in the City of London.

Given the paucity of clocks known by him and the very high quality of the present clock movement one could surmise that Thomas was very likely an out-worker, possibly working for some of the Fleet Street makers such as the Mudge, Dutton & Shelton.

James Condliff, Liverpool A rare Second Series striking skeleton clock Circa 1855 With a narrow silvered chapter ring secured to the front plate by three delicate pillars with blued steel screws, the chapter ring is engraved with Roman chapters and outer minute track, with blued steel Breguet style hands The rectangular brass base is raised on ball feet and applied with a silvered plaque to the front engraved Jas. Condliff Liverpool Liverpool. The beautiful delicate scrolling frame comprises two identical pierced brass plates held together by seven baluster pillars with blued steel screws to the front and pinned at the rear – save for the upper central pillar which is screwed at the back in conjunction with the suspension block.

Both spring barrels have five spoke crossings to the front and back showing the coiled springs within; the clicks are hidden at the rear. The going train has five delicate wheels - each with five crossings terminating in a deadbeat escapement with the original pendulum.

The strike train also with delicate wheels with five crossings, and the rack-and-snail clearly visible through the centre of the chapter ring with the hours being struck via trip linkage on a gong within the mahoganyveneered oval base.

Height with dome: 16½ inches £13,300

De Fossard, Bath A unique super-complex astronomical exhibition clock, displaying multiple complications including solar information for any given longitude and latitude.

Date 2017 38 inches (97cm) high Price on application

Maker:

Heuer

Model:

Autavia Rindt

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

2446 3rd Ex. Circa 1967 959**

Case:

38.8mm. diameter, steel screw-back, 19mm. bevelled lugs, case back signed Autavia Heuer, original signed winder and original pushers.

Bezel:

Narrow with Tachymeter scale

Dial:

Hands: Movement:

Black dial with 3 white subsidiaries, baton steel hour markers with original lume which is partially missing as to be expected.

Steel matchstick hands with original lume, original chronograph hand painted white Vajoux 72, manual wind, signed Heuer – Leonidas SA

Strap:

together with the Gay Frères double Beads of Rice bracelet with HL end links (one small link missing where it joins the clasp

Price:

£26,000

Info:

Together with an early Heuer Box

Maker:

Heuer

Model:

Autavia

Reference No.:

73663 MH

Date:

Circa 1974

Serial No.:

201***

Case:

Steel, screw-on back, 20mm. lugs, fluted pushers, case back signed inside HEUERLEONIDAS SWISS, original signed crown, correct reference and serial numbers at the case ends.

Bezel:

Black bi-directional bezel with Minute and Hour scale.

Dial:

Black dial with 3 silvered subsidiary registers each with black hands, lumed Arabic numerals with orange accents for the outer five-minute markers.

Hands:

Orange hands with painted orange luminous inserts, orange chronograph hand.

Movement:

Calibre 7736 movement signed Heuer Leonidas

Strap:

Gay Frères bracelet with the correct HLF end links

Price:

ÂŁ16,000

Info:

This watch is illustrated in the Heuer Autavia Book by Richard Crosthwaite & Paul Gavin on pages 196-197

Maker:

Heuer

Model:

Compression

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

7763NS H Circa 1969/70 114***

Case:

The case is in lovely unrestored condition and the bevels on the lugs are still very pronounced. The very lovely Hour bezel is in superb condition. The case back is signed on the reverse HEUER-LEONIDAS SA SWISS STAINLESS STEEL

Dial:

The dial is in lovely vintage condition, it is correctly signed AUTAVIA HEUER T SWISS and the sub dials are nicely silvered and very clear. Almost all of the original lume is still there at the tip of the ‘striped’ steel baton hour markers.

Hands:

The hands are the original hour & minute hands with the original lume still retained, the chronograph hand is also original and retains its original white-painted finish.

Movement:

The movement is the original Valjoux 7730 and is signed HEUER LEONIDAS SA SWISS on the curved bridge.

Strap:

High quality brown leather strap by Bulang & Son

Price:

£13,000

Info:

The Autavia Compression wristwatch was originally introduced as early as 1968; they had a very brief production period of just three to four years. Only four compression models were made; the 2446C, 2446C GMT, 7763C – the present example – and the 7863C Dato .

The 7763 was made with the tachy and minute-hour bezel, but neither of these are rare or indeed as beautiful as those examples that sport the Hour bezel as on the present watch for sale. The other points to make about this particular watch is that the dial is in beautiful condition with no unsightly scratches and it retains about 95% of its original lume, lastly the case is in truly lovely condition.

This is without doubt one of the finest examples of the 7763 compression Heuer you are ever likely to find.

Maker:

Heuer

Model:

Pre-Carrera

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

2444 Circa 1962 127**

Case:

Steel 37mm. diameter case with screw-back & 18mm. lugs

Bezel:

Calatrava-type bezel

Dial:

Silver with 3 engine-turned subsidiaries, gilt-brass baton markers and original lume triangles, signed HEUER Made in Switzerland.

HANDSands:

Dauphine gilt-brass brass hour and minute hands with original luminous inserts, blued steel sweep chronograph hand and gilt-brass sub hands.

Movement:

Vajoux 72, manual wind, signed ED. Heuer & CO SWITZERLAND SA HEUER 454***

Strap:

High quality brown leather strap by Bulang & Son.

Price:

£5,000

Info:

The Heuer 2444 was one of the company’s earliest wrist chronographs and shows a bridge between the ‘50s chronographs and the beginnings of a more ascetic, less decorated style that would come to characterise 1960s Heuer.

The majority of Heuer’s business was still in timers and stopwatches, but with the advent of the ref. 2444 followed swiftly by the 2447 Carrera and 2446, the timers were soon to be superseded by the craze for wrist chronograph.

Maker:

Heuer

Model:

Transitional Rindt

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.: Case:

Dial:

Hands:

Movement:

2446 Circa 1965/66 830** The case is in lovely unrestored condition, never been polished, the original wide transitional bezel shows signs of wear but the scratches are very superficial and it still retains its gunmetal blued lustre. The case back is signed on both sides – the obverse with the AUTAVIA HEUER logo and the reverse HEUER-LEONIDAS SA The dial is in lovely vintage condition, it is correctly signed AUTAVIA HEUER T SWISS and the sub dials are nicely silvered and very clear. All the lume and the hands are original and the dial has retained all of its innate character and originality.

The hands are the original hour & minute hands with the original lume still retained, the chronograph hand was originally whitepainted but the paint has now worn off.

The movement is the original Valjoux 92 and is signed HEUER LEONIDAS SA SWISS

Strap:

Corfam-style strap with steel buckle

Price:

ÂŁ25.000

Info:

The two Transitional Heuers are the 2446 and the 3646; both were brought at out the same time in 1965, and both had a very short-lived production of only a few months. Only a very few, perhaps even as few as 20-30, of each of these watches are known to have survived

Maker:

Tudor

Model:

Homeplate

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

7031/0 Dated 2nd quarter 1970 756***

Case:

Stainless steel 40mm. case with original screw-down winding button with squared shoulders. Original Bakelite bezel. Reference and serial numbers correctly stamped between the lugs. Case back inside engraved Montre Tudor SA Geneva Switzerland Patented Stainless steel 11.70

Dial:

Superb original unrestored finish with original lume Homeplate markers, signed Tudor Oysterdate beneath the Tudor shield, T-Swiss Made –T at the base of the dial, calendar aperture at 6, outer orange-painted minute ring

Hands: Movement:

Sword-style hands unique to this model, original orange-painted chronograph hand, Original Calibre 7734

Strap:

Early Rolex stainless steel bracelet 7836, dated 4/72, with 380 end links

Price:

£36,000

Info:

The Tudor Homeplate is an iconic chronograph from the early 1970’s. It was sonamed because the 10 lume plots around the dial resemble the homeplates on a baseball field.

The Homeplate first went into production in 1970 There were three original references: 7031 having a fixed black Bakelite bezel with either a black dial with grey subs or a grey dial with black subs.

7032 having a fixed steel bezel with black or grey dial options as above 7033 – regarded as a prototype, the same model as the 7031/2 but with a rotatable black bezel.

This particular Homeplate is exceptional for the following reasons: The case back is dated for the 2nd quarter of 1970, making this one of the very first Homeplates that Tudor made.

The dial has a gorgeous faded unrestored finish, which is very rare to find.

The Bakelite bezel is original and has very little wear and tear.

The early folded bracelet is dated 1972, two years after the case back date; however it may well be the date that the watch was actually sold.

Brand

Heuer

Model

Autavia 2nd Execution

Reference no.

Date Serial no.

2446M Circa 1964 528**

Case

38mm. diameter case, steel screw-back, the cover signed Heuer Autavia - the inside cover is signed Ed Heuer & Co SA Swiss, 19mm. bevelled lugs, original winder and original pushers.

Bezel

Wide minute bezel with the original lume triangle

Dial

Black dial with 3 white subsidiaries, narrow faceted steel hour markers with original lume dots all present and correct, dial signed Autavia Heuer Swiss

Hands

Rare steel dauphine hour and minute hands with their original lume original chronograph painted white faded to a lovely cream

Movement

Valjoux 72 movement, manual wind, signed Ed. Heuer & Co SA Swiss.

Strap

Original Heuer buckle and modern black Corfam strap £48,000

Notes

This 2nd Execution Autavia is one of the best examples you are ever likely to find and it’s also the earliest-known example of a 2nd Execution Heuer. The case is unpolished, the winder and pushers are original and the bezel has the original lume triangle, which is turning a slightly brown colour with age.

The dial is near perfect and miraculously all the original lume markers have survived, in addition the original triangular (Dauphine) hour and minute hands have also survived with their original lume. The black Corfam strap is a modern example, but the buckle is a rare original Heuer ‘Sun’ buckle. The very rare 2nd Execution Autavia was only made from 1964 to 1965. The dial is unique in that the lume parkers are circular ‘dots with a double-dot at 12 and the polished steel hour markers are a single bar with two facets. The sub dials are now smaller than the 1st execution and the hands are the very rare Dauphine or triangular hands. The bezel is the same wide bezel as the 1st Execution with the lume triangle although later versions are known without the lume. The cases for the 1st and 2nd Executions are essentially the same.

Maker:

Tudor

Model:

Montecarlo

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.: Case:

Dial: Hands:

Movement:

7149/0 Circa 1978 843971 The case is in lovely unrestored condition, it has never been polished at it has been well looked after all its life. The serial and reference numbers are correctly punchnumbered between the lugs, it has the original screw-down winder and chrono buttons and the original blue bezel which is in perfect condition.

The dial is flawless, it has the original lume markers and the calendar is working well The hands are the original hour, minute and chronograph hands and they have their original lume and paint finish.

Valjoux 234 movement signed MONTRE TUDOR SA GENEVA

Strap:

Original signed and dated riveted stainless steel bracelet signed ROLEX USA C+I 78

Price:

£18,000

Info:

Rolex first introduced the Tudor Montecarlo with the reference 7031 & 7032 – otherwise known as the ‘Home plate’ owing to its distinctive lume index markers, which resemble baseball home plates. The present watch - the 7149 was introduced in 1972, it different in a few ways; the indices are batonform, the hands were streamlined and the two refs came with a choice of a blue & grey dial with a lovely blue Bakelite bezel or black & grey dial with a black Bakelite bezel.

The Montecarlo was a sports watch and a great many of them were damaged and the bezel tended to suffer because Bakelite is prone to damage. The present example is one of the rare exceptions because the bezel is perfect, it has no dings or dents and the blue colour is outstanding and hasn’t faded at all.

Similarly the dial and the case are in terrific condition and the lovely early original bracelet is the icing on the cake

Maker:

Tudor MN Submariner with decom papers

Model:

MN Snowflake Black

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

94010 1982 937***

Case:

Stainless steel 38mm. case with original screw-down winding button. Original bidirectional rotating bezel. Reference and serial numbers correctly stamped between the lugs. Case back engraved outside MN82 Original Oyster Case by Rolex Geneva inside 9411 Montres Tudor SA Geneva Switzerland Patented Stainless steel.

Dial:

Original finish with original lume hour markers, signed Tudor Oyster Prince 200m=660ft Submariner T Swiss T

Hands: Movement:

Original snowflake hands and original sweep seconds hand (with later lume) Original Calibre 2776

Strap:

NATO black strap

Price:

£22,000

The Decommission paper that accompanies this watch confirms that it was originally used by an officer or NCO in the Cie de Protection Marine Commando Unit based at Brest, France. The Cie de Protection were a special Marine and Commando unit charged with protecting vital Naval bases in France. The submarine base at Brest is still currently used, although it is due to close in 2020.

The Tudor MN Marine Nationale 1950s – 1983.

The French navy use of Tudor is perhaps the closest cooperation between a country’s armed forces and Rolex, except for the Panerai and UK Milsub connection. The very first French “Marine Nationale” watches seen date back to the mid 1950’s with the Tudor Reference 7922 Submariner.

The French navy employed Rolex military issued Submariners from the early 1960’s till around 1968.

At this time Tudor took over. It should be noted that the French navy also used other brands – including Doxa. Because of this, it is hard to ascertain how many Tudor Submariners were issued all together. However considering the rarity in the market, it is realistic to believe that the amount is similar to that of the UK Military Rolex equivalent.

TIMELINE Early 1950s. Reference 7922 is developed. Introduced circa 1953. Some say for prototype use at the M.N. French navy and Rolex has always been close and it is fair to assume that Rolex developed military watches together with the M.N. in similar fashion to the Comex / Rolex association.

Circa 1957. Reference 7924 turns up They all run in a specific serial number range. No engravings known.

Tudor Reference 7928 Submariner, from 1959 till 1968.

1968 till 1975 (approx.) the M.N issued Tudor Reference 7016 and 7016/0 Submariners. These had black dials and these dial variations were very prone to dial rot. Few good examples exist today. This is not a problem specific for M.N issued versions though.

The same issue exist on civilian versions. Snowflake configuration ran from 1974-1975 1976 till 1980 (approx.) the M.N issued Tudor Reference 94010 Snowflake submariners. These had blue dials and blue bezels. The dials were the “new” generation and not AS prone to dial discoloration. The snowflake design is classic with the square minute hand and square markers.

1980 till 1983 (approx.) the M.N issued Reference 94010 with Snowflake, Triangle markers and regular Mercedes hands.

DECOMMMISSION PAPERS Ideally all collectors would like to have decom papers with their Tudor Marine Nationale – but in truth many don’t have them, either because the papers got separated, or because they’re not proper M.N.s. So what are ‘decom papers’? They were the official hangtag papers that the Marine Nationale watch received upon being retired from service. The reference and serial number shown on the papers must match that on the watch in question.

The Tudor “94” series had the following categories: 9401/0 – was produced from 1975-76. It had no Date and either Blue or black dial with “snowflake” markers and hands.

9411/0 – was Produced from 1975-76. It had a date aperture and either blue or black dial with “snowflake” markers and hands.

94010 – the present example – this was Produced from 1976-83. All of them had the Snowflake design up until 1980 and then from 1980-83 some had triangle marker dials.

94110 – was Produced between 1976-83. It had date aperture and until 1980 it had the “Snowflake” design.

From 1980-83 the dial had triangle markers.

Maker:

Heuer

Model:

Carrera

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

2447S 1st Ex Circa 1966 695**

Case:

Unpolished steel screw-back, 19mm. facetted lugs, serial correctly punched between, original pushers and original plain button, case back reverse signed HEUER LEONIDAS SWISS stainless steel.

Dial:

Original eggshell finish signed CARRERA HEUER with retailer’s signature MEISTER, 3 engine-turned subsidiary dials with blackpainted hands, original lume dots at the end of every steel hour marker

Hands:

Plain steel matchstick hands with original lume inserts

Movement:

Valjoux 72, manual wind, signed Heuer – Leonidas SA Swiss

Strap:

brown leather Bulang strap with early Heuer buckle

Price:

£12,500

Info:

This rare and beautiful Heuer Carrera watch is an exceptional example from the 1st execution series, which were only made between 1964 and 1968.

During the 1st Execution period the Carrera was only being made with the plain silver and black dials – the examples with contrasting colour subsidiary dials were made in the later 2nd Execution range post 1968.

Of the 1st execution range of silver dials the first had an eggshell finish, like this example, then a little later the dials were given a sunburst finish.

The eggshell-finished dials are considered by collectors and dealers to be more desirable and those with the original retailer’s marking – in this instance – MEISTER are very rare indeed.

Meister

The Jewellery company Meister is a fourth generation business founded in 1881 in Zurich, by a goldsmith called Emil Meister.

By 1950 the company, then run by his son Walther Meister, began to expand into highclass jewellery and watches, with three stores retailing the best quality timepieces, including the Heuer Carrera. Meister sold only a very few Carreras, which had their retail name on the dials above the Heuer logo. The company still thrives now with four stores in Zurich.

Maker:

Rolex

Model:

Explorer gloss lacquer dial

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.: Case:

6610 Circa 1956 1007** Stainless steel 36mm. case with original screwdown winding button. Reference and serial numbers correctly stamped between the lugs.

Case back engraved inside 6610 11/56 Montres Rolex SA Geneva Switzerland Patented Stainless steel.

Dial:

Superb finish with original lume, signed Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer Officially Certified Chronometer SWISS.

Hands:

Original gilt Mercedes hour and minute hands with original lume fill, original lollipop seconds.

Movement:

Movement No. DN680700, calibre 1030

Strap:

Rolex stainless steel bracelet numbered links 80 4/65

Price:

£22,000

Info:

The Rolex Explorer reference 6610 is one of the early Explorer models, and a favourite amongst collectors.

Originally introduced in 1959, it replaced the reference 6150. On the outside, the two watches appear nearly identical. However, its flatter back identifies this particular reference. This is due to the watch’s use of the calibre 1030 mechanical movement with 25 jewels over the reference 6150’s larger movement, which needed a bubbleback case to accommodate it. The 6610 gave consumers the Explorer in its most recognizable form. Made of stainless steel, the water-resistant case measures about 36 millimetres in diameter.

Being an earlier Rolex model, the case is waterproof but only up to 50 meters. It accomplishes this through Rolex Oyster technology, which utilizes a screw down crown and case back.

All original 6610 dials and hands are classified as “gilt”, marked by gold text (with just a few exceptions), chapter ring, and Mercedes hands.

Aside from the rare albino dial, the 6610 dial is typically black, finished with a lacquer coating, and sports luminous baton markers and Arabic numbers. Pulling the look together was a stainless steel Rolex Oyster riveted bracelet with stamped clasp.

Because this reference is an early Explorer model and only produced for a short time, they are exceedingly rare. It’s speculated that in the five years of production, the amount of 6610s made is merely a fraction compared to the 1016.

Furthermore, since the 6610 is an older reference, chances are higher that parts would be replaced during service, especially dials aggressively aged by paint defects and radium degradation. What this leads to is even smaller numbers of original and legitimate 6610 examples available on the market.

Maker:

Heuer

Model:

Transitional Andretti

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

3646 Circa 1965/66 825**

Case:

The case is in lovely unrestored condition, it has never once been polished and the bezel shows signed of wear but the scratches are very superficial and it still retains its lustre.

The case back is signed on both sides – the obverse with the AUTAVIA HEUER logo and the reverse HEUER-LEONIDAS SA

Dial:

The dial is in lovely vintage condition, it is correctly signed AUTAVIA HEUER T SWISS and the sub dials are nicely silvered and very clear. Some of the lume is missing from the markers but the dial has retained all of its innate character and originality.

Hands:

Movement:

The hands are the original hour & minute hands with the original lume still retained, the chronograph hand was originally whitepainted but the paint has now worn off.

The movement is the original Valjoux 92 and is signed HEUER LEONIDAS SA SWISS

Strap:

Corfam-style strap with steel buckle

Price:

£25.000

Info:

The two Transitional Heuers are the 2446 and the 3646; both were brought at out the same time in 1965, and both had a very short-lived production of only a few months. Only a very few, perhaps even as few as 20-30, of each of these watches are known to have survived and the Transitional 3646 may the rarer of the two.

The Transitional 3646 production lasted only a few months before the Andretti was ‘born’.

The difference between the two is that the Transitional has fatter lugs, which are only very slightly bevelled, and the Transitional also has a noticeably wider bezel compared to the Andretti’s very thin bezel. This particular example for sale is a stunning untouched watch with an unpolished case and I particularly like its Hour bezel as opposed to the more common Minute bezel, which somehow doesn’t have the same visual impact.

The few surviving Transitionals still for some reason walk in the shadows of their successors; the 2446 3rd ex and the 3646 3rd ex. – otherwise known respectively as the Rindt and Andretti, after the two eponymous F1 racing drivers.

I’m writing this in late 2017 and the Transitionals are still unacknowledged and little-known – but as is so often the case with these rare pieces it won’t be long before we’re reminiscing about how little the Transitionals were being sold for – ‘only a few years ago’!!

Heuer, reference 3646 2nd / 3rd execution ‘The Transitional 3646’ Circa 1966 £25,000

Maker:

Heuer Autavia

Model:

Andretti

Reference No.:

3646M

Date: Serial No.:

Circa 1967/68 965**

Case:

Steel 39mm. diameter crisp case, screwback, beautifully bevelled lugs, case back signed Autavia Heuer, and reverse signed Heuer Leonidas SA

Bezel:

Narrow black enamelled with minute scale

Dial:

Hands:

Movement:

Black with 2 silver subsidiaries, signed Autavia Heuer T Swiss, baton steel hour markers with their original lume.

Steel matchstick hands with original luminous inserts, white painted chronograph hand, black painted sub hands Vajoux 92, manual wind, signed Heuer Leonidas SA

Strap:

black Corfam-style strap

Price:

£22,000

Info:

The Andretti is of course named after the great racing driver Mario Andretti who is still very much still alive and kicking! There are many images of Andretti wearing his 3646, it looks like his had the Hour bezel, but it’s difficult to be 100%. Ours here has the Minute bezel, which, being less busy than the tachy bezel is perhaps easier on the eye and this one is in terrific condition.

The dial of this piece is also in wonderful condition with lovely clear subsidiary dials and all the lume on the dial and the hands is original.

Probably the best part about this piece though is the case, which has never been polished, and the all-important bevels on its lovely slender lugs are razor sharp.

As commented on by Richard Crosthwaite and Paul Gavin, the 3646 shares many details with the 2446 but it’s driven by the Valjoux 92 movement which was designed for a watch with 2 subs, as opposed to the 2446 which had the Valjoux 72 designed for dials with three subs. Continuing the similarity with the 2446, the 3646 has the early-form screwback with the Heuer monogram engraved on the back cover. The 3rd. execution came with all four variations of bezel – Minutes, Hours, 12-24 & Tachy.

Maker:

Tudor

Model:

Oyster Prince Submariner gloss gilt

Reference No.:

7928

Date:

Circa 1961

Case:

The serial and reference numbers are correctly punch-numbered between the lugs, it has the original screw-down winder and the original long 5 bezel which although not perfect is in excellent vintage condition.

Dial:

Very beautiful dial, with the original lume which responds well to UV light, gilt closed minute track, gilt text

Hands: Movement:

The hands are the original gilt hour, minute and hands with the original lume Calibre 390 movement in excellent condition signed TUDOR Auto-Prince

Strap:

Brown leather strap by Bulang & Son

Price:

£15,000

Info:

Tudor is a separate company that manufactures Rolex watches. Original Rolex founder Hans Wildorf wanted to create a company that would make a product that as reliable and of as high a quality as the original Rolex but at a more affordable price.

Therefore, Tudor watches have always symbolized affordable, quality, and long-lasting wear.

The Submariner was designed as a dive watch and could withstand pressure from being underwater without being damaged.

Here is where the true difference of the Tudor and Rolex watches becomes negligible: Tudor watches were required to meet very strict standards of quality in order to be sold

by Rolex. In fact, the only real difference between Tudor and Rolex was the type of movements. Tudor used a modified version of the Rolex movements but the Submariner was still required to be water-resistant to a particular depth.

The 7928, unlike earlier Tudors, was fitted with the Rolex calibre 390 17-jewel movement.

The 7928 also used an identical bezel to the Rolex 5513 Submariner. It was produced from the late 1950’s until 1966 when it was replaced by newer Tudor models.

There are actually four different dial versions known of the 7928, this example features the sought-after gilt writing and gilt ‘train track’ around the outer edge.

Maker: Date: Serial No.:

Leonidas Circa 1955/60 148***

Case:

The polished case is in lovely unrestored condition with the original square pushers and winding button.

Dial:

Very beautiful gloss black dial has an outer pulsometer ring with gilt-metal chronograph hand with a small 60-minute recording ring at 12, sub seconds ring at 6, gilt-metal spadeform hour and minute hands

Movement:

17 jewel movement signed LEONIDAS

Strap:

Brown leather

Price:

£800

Notes:

The Leonidas Watch Factory was founded 1841 by Julien Bourquin in Saint-Imier, Switzerland.

In 1912 Leonidas was purchased by Constant Jeanneret-Droz, one of the three sons of the Excelsior Park founder Jules Frédéric Jeanneret, Leonidas began to produce outstanding chronograph movements, because Jeanneret-Droz brought the necessary know-how with him fr4om Excelsior. Leonidas also manufactured instruments used in the automotive and aerospace areas.

In 1964 Leonidas and Heuer merged and the watch movements were sold under the name ‘HEUER LEONIDAS’. After Heuer became TAG Heuer in 1985, the name Leonidas disappeared.

This particular example is has most unusual articulated lugs, the small case has square pushers, which were fashionable in the late 50’s and early 60’s, but it is the lovely gloss black dial that is particularly pretty off-set with the gilt text and gilt hands.

Maker:

Omega Pink Jumbo

Model:

JUMBO REF MI 2325/3 MVT 10055830

Date: Serial No.:

Issued circa 1945 10055830

Case:

The 37mm diameter Jumbo case back is stamped on reverse with the OMEGA WATCH Co. and with the reference number 2325/3.

Original dimpled winding button

Dial:

The pink two-tone dial has a ‘shaded’ pink Roman chapter ring and outer Arabic concentric minute track, it is correctly signed OMEGA

Hands:

The hands are the original steel dagger hour and minute hands and original blued steel counterbalanced sweep seconds hand.

Movement:

30T2SC (for central seconds) Signed OMEGA Swiss 16 Jewels & numbered 10055***

Strap:

Brown leather Hodinkee strap

Price:

£3,500

Info:

Oversized watches are often nicknamed “Jumbo,” and this Omega MI 2325 definitely deserves such a qualification. Already large (for the era) at 37mm, it appears even larger thanks to the minimal, clean dial layout.

The usual colour for this reference is silver two-tone – the pink version is very rare. The Roman numerals are a very elegant touch, as they allow for excellent legibility, and are small and simple enough to not overwhelm the rest of the dial. The thin, elongated lugs finish the case beautifully, making this a piece to wear night or day.

The condition of the case is all original and unpolished, the winder is not signed but it is the correct style as evidenced by other models. The movement is all original and in excellent condition. The beautiful pink dial has a gorgeous layout, there is a bit of natural wear to the minute track and some of the hour numerals at III & IIII and there are two little marks in the centre of the dial, but if anything this patina adds to the overall lovely vintage feel that this special watch has.

Maker:

Tudor

Model:

Oyster Prince

Reference No.:

7909

Date:

Circa 1955

Case:

The serial and reference numbers are correctly punch-numbered on the screw-down case back, it has the original screw-down winder.

Dial:

Very beautiful clean dial, signed TUDOR Oyster Royal Rotor self-winding, with the original lume which responds well to UV light, applied gilt-metal Arabic numerals

Hands:

Blued steel hour, minute and sweep seconds hands

Movement:

Calibre 390 movement in excellent condition

Strap:

Brown leather strap

Price:

£1,800

Info:

In a print advertisement introducing the TUDOR Oyster Prince 7909 shown in the photo, founder Hans Wilsdorf was quoted as saying ‘It has surpassed all our expectations in the more unforeseen way. The instructions I gave have been magnificently carried out. It is my considered opinion that, for its price, the Tudor Oyster Prince is the most outstanding value I have ever seen’.

Introduced in 1952, the Oyster Prince went through a battery of tests before being released to the public. The ‘Trial of Destruction,’ as the tests were called, placed six Tudor Oyster Prince watches on a workman operating a pneumatic drill one after the other, sustaining over a million shocks as a result. After the rigorous tests, the watches were still functioning with the same precision, something that Wilsdorf chose to highlight in ads.

Maker:

Rolex

Model:

Military Explorer

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

1016 Circa 1978 562****

Case:

Stainless steel case with original screw-down winding button. Reference and serial numbers correctly stamped between the lugs. Case back engraved Bund 6645-12 154-4531 and on the inside 1016 Montres Rolex SA Geneva Switzerland Patented Stainless steel.

Dial:

Almost flawless superb original finish with original lume, signed Rolex Oyster Perpetual Explorer Superlative Chronometer Officially Certified SWISS –T<25.

Hands:

Original Mercedes hour and minute hands with original lume fill, original lollipop seconds again with the original lume.

Movement:

Movement No. 975435, calibre 1570 with hacking

Strap:

Original Rolex stainless steel bracelet numbered 78360 links 580

Price:

£18,000

Info:

The 1016 Explorer may have been made in fairly large numbers but very few appear to have been made specifically for the German Army – or any other country’s army for that matter! The serial number 6645 on the case cover is the NATO reference and -12 is Germany’s country code. The remaining numbers (I assume) refer to the particular ‘section/regiment’ of the German army that the watch was assigned to. At least one other Explorer with the same case back engraving is known to exist – but precious few others are known.

The Rolex Explorer 1016 was first introduced in 1963 and it had a very successful production run until 1989. With its introduction came a new the Caliber 1560 and increased water resistance to 100m. In the mid 1970s the ref. 1016’s movement was replaced with the Caliber 1570, which included the hacking feature. The hacking feature meant that the second’s hand stopped when the crown was pulled out all the way for more precise time setting. Other improvements to the Explorer ref. 1016 over its over 25-year manufacturing run included solid links to the Oyster bracelet and the use of tritium rather than radium for the watch’s luminous accents.

Maker:

Longines

Model:

6B / 159 Air Ministry Navigator’s watch

Date: Serial No.:

Issued in 1943 6477***

Case:

The beautifully proportioned case is in lovely unrestored condition, it has never been polished, The case back is signed on both sides – the obverse with the central Longines logo and case numbers 22275 163 and the reverse is engraved A.M. 6B / 159 3514 / 43.

Dial:

The dial is in lovely vintage condition, it is correctly signed LONGINES with seconds dial at. All the lume is original and active, but this appears to be the only loss/defect.

Hands:

Movement:

The hands are the original hour & minute hands with the original lume still retained, some lume is missing from the minute hand, the seconds hand is original.

Calibre 12.68N in excellent condition with serial number 6477225.

Strap:

With black ostrich leather strap

Price:

£1200

Info:

This is a second World War Royal Air Force Navigator’s watch Approximately 12 manufacturers including Omega, Jaeger Le-Coultre, Record and Longines supplied watches to the RAF during this period. The watches followed a standard specification, which included a white dial with Arabic numerals. These watches are referred to by their stores reference number: 6b/159 The Longines 12.68N movement is a terrific quality thing, it is gilded and Longines even used blued steel screws, something which was standard in traditional watchmaking, but was abandoned by Longines and most other manufacturers in the post war years.

Maker:

Lemania

Model:

Mark III Royal Navy twin pusher chronograph

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.: Case: Dial:

0552/924-3306 Circa 1976 44** The case is in lovely unrestored condition with the original pushers and winding button.

Very beautiful dial, lume is original and responds well to UV light

Hands:

The hands are original white hands and they have their original lume and respond in the same manner as the dial lume under UV light.

Movement:

Calibre 1872 movement in excellent condition

Strap:

Black military-issue type

Price:

£7,000

Notes:

Between 1945 and 1970 the British Navy and the Royal Air Force were issued with Lemania chronograph wristwatches. There were three types; the Marks I, II & III. The Mark III – the present example – was issued with twin chronograph pushers (the MKII has one pusher) and the lug bars were soldered to the case.

The case back has the military markings, which tell us some of the watch’s history: 0552 denotes Royal Navy property; 924-3306 denotes a chronograph wristwatch for aircrew in an asymmetric case with twin pushers.

4472 is the issue number and /75 is the year of issue, 1975.

Maker:

Record

Model:

Military Watch Wrist Waterproof

Date:

Issued circa 1945

Serial No.:

L25839 / 543686

Case:

The calatrava-style case back is stamped on the obverse with the broad arrow and WWW and serial number 543686 and the reverse is engraved w.w.w. with the broad arrow and L25839 543686, one lug is stamped 187

Dial:

The black enamel dial is in lovely vintage condition with the original lume, it is correctly signed RECORD with the broad arrow, with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds.

Hands:

The hands are the original pencil hour & minute hands with replacement tritium lume.

Movement:

Calibre 022K in excellent condition signed RECORD on the barrel cover.

Strap:

Brown leather strap

Price:

£650

Info:

This watch is one of the so-called “Dirty Dozen” twelve models of wristwatches officially issued to the British Army at the end of the second world war. .

In 1945 the British Ministry of Defence produced a standard specification for watches to be issued to the armed forces and the makes chosen for their quality were Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger Le Coultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex.

This particular example is one of the nicest examples of the Record military wristwatch you will find. Given it has seen military service it is in remarkably good condition. The dial is lovely – the lume dots around the outer edge are the original radium, the hands are original but they have been re-lumed with tritium – presumably when it came in for service – often the original radium flaked off the hands. The case is in unrestored condition and as is often the case the screw-back has been transposed with another Record back when it went in for a service – this often happened – the number on one of the lugs should in theory match the last three digits of the ‘L’ number on the case back.

Maker:

Omega

Model:

Seamaster 300 Military Issue

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.: Case:

Dial:

Hands:

Movement:

165-924 Circa 1970 A/430 The case is in lovely unrestored condition with the original winding button and fixed batons, the case back engraved with the broad arrow and 0552/923 7697 A/430/70, the revers engraved Omega Watch Company Fab Suisse 165 024 SP Lovely service dial with typical thick lume markers and signed Omega Automatic Seamaster 300 T The hands are original steel hour and minute hands with the original lume, original white painted seconds hand with teardrop end.

Number 27.500.402, 24 jewel calibre 553 automatic movement signed Omega Watch Co. Swiss

Strap:

Green military-issue type

Price:

ÂŁ55.000

Notes:

This watch comes complete with an official Omega Extract of the Archives stating that this watch with the movement number 27.500.402 was produced on September 1st 1969 and that is was delivered to the British Royal Navy The Military Seamaster 300 was manufactured for the British Forces under strict guidelines given by the Ministry of Defence. The official document includes the specifications of the solid bars for the attachment of a NATO style canvas strap, the bezel with minute register for the full 60 seconds, Tritium luminous paint applied to the hands and dial symbolised by a T in a circle on the latter and oversize hands for clear legibility. Due to the fact that this watch was very much a tool watch many were discarded, destroyed or changed making complete examples sought after.

Maker:

Tudor

Model:

Oyster Submariner chocolate exclamation

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.: Case:

Dial:

7928 Circa 1964 449*** The serial and reference numbers are correctly punchnumbered between the lugs, it has the original screw-down winder and the original long 5 bezel which although not perfect is in excellent condition.

Very beautiful dial, it has a deep dark chocolate colour, which magically lights up in the sunlight. The dial lume is original and responds beautifully to UV light & it has the exclamation dot at numeral VI

Hands:

The hands are the original hour, minute and hands and they have their original lume and respond in the same manner as the dial lume under UV light.

Movement:

Calibre 390 movement in excellent condition signed TUDOR Auto-Prince

Strap:

Brown leather strap by Bulang & Son

Price:

£20,000

Info:

Tudor is a separate company that manufactures Rolex watches. Original Rolex founder Hans Wildorf wanted to create a company that would make a product as reliable and of as high a quality as the original Rolex but at a more affordable price.

Therefore, Tudor watches have always symbolized affordable, quality, and long-lasting wear.

The Submariner was designed as a dive watch and could withstand pressure from being underwater without being damaged. Here is where the true difference of the Tudor and Rolex watches becomes negligible: Tudor watches were required to meet very strict standards of quality in order to be sold by Rolex. In fact, the only real difference between Tudor and Rolex was the type of movements. Tudor used a modified version of the Rolex movements but the Submariner was still required to be water-resistant to a particular depth.

The 7928, unlike earlier Tudors, was fitted with the Rolex calibre 390 17-jewel movement. The 7928 also used an identical bezel to the Rolex 5513 Submariner. It was produced from the late 1950s until 1966 when it was replaced by newer Tudor models.

There are actually four different dial versions known of the 7928, this example features the sought-after gilt writing and gilt ‘train track’ around the outer edge. It also features a tiny lume dot beneath the long stroke at the 6 o’clock position, it’s what collectors call an “exclamation mark”, this may seem insignificant, but it is extremely rare to find – it was applied by Tudor for a few months to indicate that the luminous material on the dial was a mixture of radium and tritium – this was a very short era before Tudor finally replaced all radium on their dials with tritium – which they indicated by the two Ts either side of the word SWISS at the base of the dial.

The chocolate colour is a reaction of the black paintwork on the dial to UV light over the 50+ years that the dial has been exposed to the sun. 99% of Submariner dials are jet black, but just a few turn this lovely dark chocolate colour which turns to a lighter brown immediately when exposed to sunlight – it is a true chameleon, and very rare.

Maker:

Universal

Model:

Polerouter Jet – FULL-SET

Reference No.: Date: Serial No.:

20359/3 Guarantee dated December 1960 1967776

Case:

Unpolished steel case with original winder and polygonal screw-back, the obverse stamped 20359/3 & 1967776 SWISS STAINLESS STEEL, the reverse punched with the Universal trademark.

Dial:

The dial has the original finish with the original lume dots at the end of the steel baton hour markers – the dial is signed UNIVERSAL GENEVE POLEROUTER JET AUTOMATIC.

Hands:

The hands are the lovely original slender steel ‘dauphine-style hands with the original lume and original steel sweep seconds.

Movement:

Original Universal 215-07 movement signed UNIVERSAL SWISS MICROTOR

Strap:

Black leather crocodile with generic buckle

Price:

£1800

Info:

This lovely dress watch is in virtually untouched condition, the case has never been polished and it has been well treated throughout its 57-year life. The dial has taken on a slightly golden finish, owing to the original lacquer tinting in the light over the years.

The icing on the cake is that it comes with the original lovely box and papers - a true untouched ‘Full-Set!’ THE UNIVERSAL POLEROUTER The Universal Polerouter was originally designed for the pilots of Scandinavian Airline System (SAS). In the mid 1950’s they opened new routes over the North Pole and all their pilots had to take part in special training at ‘Arctic Flight School’. Universal were asked to provide all the pilots with automatic precision wristwatches that needed to be resistant to the strong magnetic field over the polar region.

Following the first flight in 1954 Universal brought out their first watch with the name ‘Polerouter’. Subsequently seven Polerouter models were brought out by Universal including the Jet. The Polerouter was regarded as a high-quality luxury timepiece and it retailed for the same price as the Rolex Explorer. The 18ct gold version sold for nearly the same price as a Volkswagen Beetle!!

Maker:

Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co.

Model:

Curvex

Date:

Hallmarked 1939

Case:

48mm long 14mm wide silver case with hinged back, import hallmark to the inside for 1939 and stamped GS, the case back with a period personalised engraving

Dial:

Curved silvered dial signed The Goldsmiths & Silversmiths AS SN Swiss made, Art Decostyle Arabic numerals, sub seconds above 6

Hands:

Original blued steel hands

Movement:

15 jewel Swiss movement

Strap:

Brown leather strap

Price:

ÂŁ1,500

Info:

William Gibson and John Longman established the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths in 1880. The company shop was in Regent Street, London.

In 1893 it absorbed the Goldsmithsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Alliance Ltd and subsequently became the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company. They were active as jewellers, diamond and precious stone dealers, silversmiths and watch and clock makers.

In 1952 they were amalgamated into the Crown Jewellers, Garrard Ltd.

Exceptional Clocks & Vin ta ge Watches

07814 757742 ben@benwrightclocks.co.uk www.benwrightclocks.co.uk www.benwrightvintagewatches.co.uk