Property from the Masterworks of Time Collection
Viner & Nowland, London
Viner & Nowland No. 4774 An unusual gold open-faced pump wind lever watch 1837
No reserve
Lot Closed
February 10, 04:26 PM GMT
Estimate
1,000 - 1,500 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from the Masterworks of Time Collection
Viner & Nowland, London
Viner & Nowland
No. 4774
An unusual gold open-faced pump wind lever watch
1837
• Movement: gilded, lever escapement, plain gold three-arm balance, hanging barrel, signed Viner & Nowland and numbered 4774
• Dial: gold, engine-turned chapter ring with Roman numerals, the centre with decorative floral engraving, outer minute ring, blued steel hands, gold case
• Case: 18ct gold, the back chased and engraved with scrolling foliage and centred with an anchor
diameter 40mm
Viner’s 'pump' system of winding is perhaps the best-known keyless winding mechanism not employing a rotating button in the case pendant. The cap in the pendant is fixed to a long stem which, via a crank and a ratchet system, winds the movement by repeated extension and depression of the stem. As usual, the hands are set via a square to their centre.
The earliest patent for pump winding is Robert Leslie’s of 1793 (no. 1970) which reads: “A method of winding up a watch by the pendant. On the square where the key should go is a ratch; the pendant, being alternately moved in an out, turns this ratch by means of two clicks on either end of a fork fastened to the pendant.” See T. P. and T. A. Camerer Cuss, The Camerer Cuss Book of Antique Watches, 1976, p. 39.
Interestingly the case of the current watch carries the hallmark date letter 'B' which was the last from the reign of King William IV and the first from Queen Victoria whose reign began during this year's hallmarking cycle.