An open-faced, quarter-repeating mechanical pocket watch
An open-faced, quarter-repeating mechanical pocket watch
Great Britain, London
Circa 1770
R. Higginson
Steel, brass, glass, enamel, gold, agate, diamonds, colored stones; mechanical work, casting, chasing, enamel, gem-setting
Mechanical pocket watch is housed in an open-faced, double gold case with a hinged front cover, a quarter-repeating activation stem, and a suspension ring. White enamel dial features black Roman hour numerals, Arabic numerals for five-minute intervals, and minute tracks. The blued steel hands include a lance-shaped minute hand and an ornate hour hand.
The movement features
a verge escapement and a quarter-repeating mechanism. It is enclosed within a
circular inner case with a hinged, glazed top cover and a smooth bezel. On the
reverse side of this pierced, cast, and engraved inner case, there is a winding
hole with a square arbour for the key. "Opposite the twelve o'clock position, a
repeating plunge stem with a flat head and an ornate suspension ring, adorned
with red and green translucent stones, is installed. The cast, pierced external case of complex form
is fitted with a hinged top cover featuring a circular aperture for the dial.
The border of this aperture is decorated with a row of alternating red and
green translucent stones. The band of the case consists of an openwork ornament
composed of rocaille motifs. Mounted on a red backing insert are metal elements
set with colored stones, forming a floral pattern. The watch was manufactured
for the Chinese market.
7942MCA491/ДПИ