18ct Gold Pocket Chronometer with Spring Detent Escapement, 1855
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E J Dent an 18ct gold keywound pocket chronometer with spring detent escapement and a fitted mahogany box circa 1855. Dial: white enamel Roman, large Arabic subsidiary seconds. movement: full-plate gilt finished spring detent, free-sprung, hellical hairspring. Case: circular engine-turned, cuvette with presentation inscription presented to Captain George Franklin, of the steam transport Columba, by the Lords of the Admiralty, in testimony of their approbation of his zeal and activity while employed at Balaclava 1855. Dimensions: 50 mm diameter. Signed: box, dial and movement signed E. J. Dent Watchmaker to the Queen, London, no. 10221. Accessories: key, mahogany deck box, fitted wooden interior opening into an easel-form stand with blue velvet lining, measuring approximately 10 x 8.5 x 4.5 cm. Condition: dial: good. Hands, glass: good. Case: engine-turned decoration good, very light signs of wear, condition commensurate with age and careful use. Movement: running but not recently serviced or timed, detent intact and working. Total weight approximately 114.8 grams. Mahogany box is kept in nice condition and shows no visible damage, replacement winding hole. Overall condition: very good
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- Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.
Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin. - Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
- Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
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