18th Century Gold Pocketwatch by John Ellicott London

A fine quarter repeating pair case pocketwatch in 18ct gold by John Ellicott London, circa 1750, circular white enamel dial with Roman numerals, blue steel beetle and poker hands, gilt fusee cylinder, pierced and engraved balance cock, silver regulation, baluster pillars, two hammers striking on bell. Pierced and engraved inner case depicting a country landscape, inscribed L Sydney Bowden D.D. Sophia Bellem and outer repousse case depicting a Roman classical scene, movement number: 3808, case number: 3808, dimensions: 1.93 in., signed: movement and dust cover, John Ellicott is regarded as one of the finest clock and watchmakers of the the 18th century. He is best known for his work on temperature compensated pendulums and his use of the cylinder escapement. Ellicott's reputation for excellence in design and innovation led to an appointment as Clockmaker to King George III.

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George Iii - George III (1738 - 1820) was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820.
Embossed / Repousse - Embossing, also known as repousse, is the technique of decorating metal with raised designs, by pressing or beating out the design from the reverse side of the object.It is the opposite of chasing, where the decoration is applied from the front. An embossed or repoussed object may have chasing applied to finish off the design.
Fusee - The fusee movement was used in clocks and pocket watches from the mid 17th century. The fusee is a cone shaped drum within the works that is linked to the barrel of the spring, usually by a length of chain.

As the mainspring loses its tension over time, the cone shaped barrel compensates for this by increasing the tension, by pulling the mainspring tighter, thus ensuring the time remains constant.

Use of the fusee in clocks was superseded by the "going barrel" in the mid 19th century and for pocket watches at the beginning of the 19th century.

The fusee continued to be used in marine chronometers until the 1970s.
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.
Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Ellicott, John (Britain) - clocks, maker or retailer 7
pocket watches, case type
- open face, gold / gold-plated case 1,381
- pair cased 165
pocket watches, features - repeater / repeating 107
pocket watches, period - Georgian 289