Bentley & Beck 18ct Gold Pocket Watch, 1838
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A superb 18ct gold open face pocket watch by Bentley & Beck, Royal Exchange, London, number 612, the large 57 mm machine engraved case, hallmarked 1838. Three colour gold dial, with bird and acanthus scroll centre, matt chapter ring with raised Roman numerals within an outer border of chased and engraved scrolls and flowerheads. Subsidiary seconds dial at VI with radial guilloche pattern. Fine blued steel hands. The signed and numbered movement with duplex escapement with compensation balance (earlier style with wedge shaped weights). Signed dust cap. Case stamped S.C. 612, winding cover engraved with owner's names. 170gm.
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- Duplex Escapement - A duplex escapement is used in clocks and watches to control the release of energy from the mainspring to the timekeeping mechanism. The duplex escapement is a variation of the lever escapement and is characterized by the use of two pallets, or escape wheels, to control the release of energy.
In a duplex escapement, the balance wheel, which oscillates back and forth, alternately pushes against the two pallets. This allows the energy stored in the mainspring to be transferred to the balance wheel in a controlled manner, keeping the timekeeping mechanism accurate.
One of the advantages of the duplex escapement is its relatively low friction, which helps to maintain accurate timekeeping and prolong the life of the clock or watch. Additionally, the duplex escapement is relatively easy to maintain and repair, making it a popular choice for clockmakers. - Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
- Acanthus - A stylized leaf motif, one of the primary decorative elements of classical Greek and Roman architecture, derived from the genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean area. It is a common element in classical Greek and Roman design, and is often seen in Corinthian and Composite order columns and used as a decorative element in English, European and Australian furniture, particularly on the curve of a leg, and as decoration for a corbel.
- Guilloche - A form of classical decoration consisting of a repeating ornament of interlacing curved bands, sometimes forming circles, and further decorated with rosettes or other flower forms.
The name is derived from the inventor, French engineer Guillot, who invented a mechanical method of inscribing fine repeating patterns on to metallic surfaces.
On enamelled items with guilloche decoration, the surface is firstly engraved with the repeating pattern, and then covered with several layers of enamel, each of which is fired.
Where the item has not been enamelled the form of decoration is usually called "engine turned". - Chapter Ring - A separate metal plate on the face of a clock, on which the numerals for the hours and sometimes parts of the hours, are displayed, usually wheel shaped and sitting on top of the dial plate. The chapter ring is often a feature of the clock and can be silvered or enamelled to stand as a contrast to its background. The hours are usually shown in Roman numerals, although in the late 19th and earlt 20th century, Arabic numerals became fashionable.
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