Josiah Emery, An important gold openface watch with early lever escapement and regulator dial, no. 957, 1783

18k, gilt full plate movement, fusee with Harrison's maintaining power, Mudge-form lever escapement with broad angled pallets for lift, crank and roller safety action, slotted tooth escape wheel, engraved balance cock, diamond endstone, Arnold 'double S'-type bi-metallic balance, blued steel helical hairspring, gilt-metal movement cover, white enamel dial, eccentric dial for hours with roman numerals below 12 o'clock, subsidiary seconds above 6 o'clock, polished gold consular case, dust cover, dial and movement signed, dust cover and movement also numbered 957, case stamped with maker's mark VW (Valentine Walker), case hallmarked, London, 1783, accompanied by a copy of Randall, The Time Museum Catalogue of Marine Chronometers.

Time Museum Inventory No. 4454

Britten, F.J. Old Clocks, Watches and Their Makers.  London, Ninth Edition, 1982, p. 194, pl. 129a-c
Randall, cat. no. 61

Josiah Emery was born in Geneva in 1725 and later settled in London at 33 Cockspur Street.  He is best known as a pioneer of the lever escapement and followed Thomas Mudge as the second maker of lever watches, deriving his design, as seen here, directly from Mudge's in-line lever escapement model.  Furthermore, Count von Bruhl, Mudge's steadfast patron and friend, encouraged Josiah Emery to make a number of lever watches.  He commenced production of his lever watches in 1781 and continued working on this throughout the rest of his life.

He was made an honorary Freeman of the Clockmakers' Company in 1781, a rare distinction.  After his death in 1796, Louis Recordon assumed his business.

The movement cover of this watch now has an eccentric screw to hold it in place.  Originally the watch would have had a hidden latch to protect the movement from curious inspectors.