Lot 56
  • 56

Barrauds'

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • A FINE SILVER PAIR CASED POCKET CHRONOMETER WITH MAHOGANY DECK BOX1817, NO. 865
  • SILVER, MAHOGANY AND IVORY
  • diameter of outer case 57 mm, inner case 51 mm
Movement: gilded full plate, Earnshaw type spring detent escapement, decoratively engraved balance cock, Pennington ‘double L’ compensated balance, blued steel helical spring, diamond endstone, fusee and chain, cylindrical pillars, signed and numbered Barrauds', Cornhill, London, No. 865  
Dial: white enamel, Roman numerals, outer minute ring, large subsidiary seconds at 12 o'clock, blued steel beetle and poker hands, signed and numbered Barrauds', Cornhill, London, 865
Case: silver inner case, the bezel opening below the pendant at 12 o'clock, winding aperture to back • plain outer case with Barraud watch paper • both cases and pendant hallmarked 1817, both cases with maker's mark JM incuse for James Melvill

With a three-tier mahogany deck box, the tray sprung from beneath to ensure tight fit to observation lid, the centre of the lid with blank ivory plaque.

Literature

Terence Camerer Cuss, The English Watch 1585-1970, 2009, p. 359, pl. 230
Cedric Jagger, Paul Philip Barraud, The Supplement, AHS, 1979, p. 2370

Condition

Movement running and appears to be in good clean condition. Dial with feint hairline crack running from just below 9 o'clock towards the centre, some very minor chipping at the very edge of the dial between 12 and 1 o'clock. Inner case with light scuffs. The mahogany deck box is in very attractive condition, the sprung tray fits firmly to the observation lid and the watch fits extremely well.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

Catalogue Note

In the supplement to his book, Paul Philip Barraud, Cedric Jagger notes that Barraud’s “first incursion into chronometer manufacture must have been in 1796-1797, with his attempts, in company with Howells and Jamison, to undercut Mudge Junior in copying the elder Mudge’s design of marine timekeeper” [op. cit. 1979, p. 203].  In this watch, it would appear that the movement was supplied by Robert Pennington. Robert Pennington had been an important member of a team assembled by Thomas Mudge Junior to produce marine timekeepers to his father’s design. Pennington supplied the trade with his own escapements and complete watch movements for the majority of his career, as well as selling watches under his own name. Pennington’s contribution to the development of precision timekeeping included an improved and lighter form of bi-metallic compensation balance that incorporated screws rather than weights. The movement in this watch has Pennington’s ‘double L’ type compensated balance and his version of the Earnshaw-type detent escapement, helical spring and typical oval cut-out to the backplate for viewing the engagement of the detent and escape wheel.