Centuries of Time: A Private Collection
Centuries of Time: A Private Collection
Ellicott, London
A fine gold quarter repeating pair cased repoussé cylinder watch Circa 1759-61, no. 4764
Auction Closed
May 14, 02:23 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Ellicott, London
A fine gold quarter repeating pair cased repoussé cylinder watch
Circa 1759-61, no. 4764
• Movement: gilded full plate, cylinder escapement, decoratively pierced and engraved balance cock, plain flat three-arm balance, diamond end stone, silver regulation plate, fusee and chain, cylindrical pillars, repeating on a bell mounted to the inside case back, the bell scratch signed Drury to underside • gilt metal dust cap, movement and dust cap signed and numbered Ellicott, London, 4764
• Dial: white enamel, Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute ring, blued steel beetle and poker hands
• Cases: gold inner, pierced for sound emission and engraved with scrolling flowers and foliage, an off-set mask at the base and landscape with buildings beneath pendant, the back with further scrollwork engraving and numbered 4764 above the winding aperture, aperture for pulse piece to bezel between 5 and 6 o'clock, inside back withmaker's mark JB incuse for possibly John Bell and numbered 4764 • outer with repoussé scene possibly depicting the family of Darius before Alexander, within an asymmetric cartouche surrounded by shell and scroll work interspersed with floral garlands against a stippled ground, the bezel similarly decorated
diameter of outer case 48.5mm, inner 41mm
In an article written by David Thompson for Antiquarian Horology (Autumn 1997), the author dates the present watch (no. 4764) to 1759-1761, noting that this is the last watch known by the Ellicotts to bear the case maker's mark JB. Thompson suggests the JB case maker's mark may be that of John Bell, a watchcase maker and master of Henry Teague.
John Ellicott, one of the most famous 18th century English clock and watch makers, was born in 1706 and succeeded his clockmaker father who died in 1733. He worked at 17 Sweetings Alley, Royal Exchange, London, from 1728 to his death in 1772. In 1738 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and served as a Councillor for three years. Later he became clockmaker to King George III and made many fine and unusual clocks. He is probably best known for the invention of a compensated pendulum in which the bob is raised or lowered, by means of levers, to counteract the expansion or contraction of the rod. John Ellicott took his son Edward into partnership in 1760 and the clocks and watches made after this time were signed Ellicott with no forename until circa 1769 when the signature was changed to John Ellicott & Son.