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Thomas Mudge Silver Pocket Watch, English Circa 1736-37

A silver cased pocket watch, maker Thomas Mudge English circa 1736-37 1.69 in. diameter, 2.40 in. high, 2.13 in. case diameter. A silver cased pocket watch, maker Thomas Mudge. English Circa 1736-37. Silver watch, plain silver inner case, case-maker's mark "IW" with an asterisk above, for John. White; also stamped with the number 5. Outer case is associated. Long pendant, stirrup bow. Silver champleve dial, black enamel Roman hour numerals, black enamel Arabic minute numerals, blued steel beetle and poker hands. Signed on the dial "Mudge" above the centre and "London" below. The movement has a verge escapement with a fusee and chain drive. The table of the. balance cock is finely pierced and engraved with a symmetrical foliage pattern centred by a rosette with a mask near the foot of the cock. The foot is finely pierced, as is the fret which indicates the numbers on the silver regulator dial. Signed on the back plate "Tho. Mudge 5 London". Plain squared pillars, ornate fusee stop. Charles Allix says that the earliest dated Mudge watch is a gold repousse pair cased watch. with a cylinder escapement numbered 22 and hallmarked for 1738 (illustrated and discussed at page 116, plate 56 of Antique Watches). This watch is No 5, and Charles Allix believes Mudge commenced making watches in 1736 and made about nine a year, which would date this watch at 1736 or not later than 1737. Reference: Britten says Mudge was born at Exeter in 1715, "and showed so great a taste for mechanics, with a particular inclination for horology, that his father placed him as an apprentice with (George) Graham". He was admitted to the freedom of the Clockmakers Company in 1738, and called to the livery in 1766". "In 1769 Mudge made for King George Ill what is perhaps the most historically important watch in the world; not only was it the first pocket watch to have an automatic device for compensating changes in temperature, but it contained Mudge's invention of the lever escapement, which was eventually to attain complete supremacy in watches so that it is now the only escapement made. Yet so great were the difficulties of making it at first that Mudge would never make another and believed it could never be made a commercial success. George Ill gave the Mudge lever to his wife, Queen Caroline. and it is still in going order at Windsor Castle". About 1755 Mudge went into partnership with William Dutton, and from about 1765 Mudge. turned his attention to marine timekeepers and in 1771, leaving the conduct of the business to Dutton, moved to Plymouth where he devoted himself to the construction of chronometers. The first one was sent to Greenwich Observatory in 1774, and the Board of Longitude pronounced it satisfactory and sent him 500 pounds and asked him to continue his researches. Mudge's remontoire escapement in his chronometers demanded even greater delicacy in construction than did his lever; even though it proved to have accuracy that was not rivalled for nearly a century, its extreme delicacy and complication meant it could never have been produced commercially. Mudge was appointed clock maker to George Ill in 1776, which duty he fulfilled by proxy, and. he died at his son's house in Walworth on 14th November 1794. Provenance: Purchased by Norman Dean from E. I. Bright of Brisbane in 1971 for $100. Dimensions: 1.69 in. diameter, 2.40 in. high, 2.13 in. case diameter

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  • 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.
  • Date Aperture - A date aperture is a cut out section in the face of a watch or clock, displaying the day of the month.
  • Rosette - A stylised circular-shaped disk with turned or carved decoration decoration applied to a surface, or carved into the surface, especially used in ceramics, jewellery, furniture, sculpture and textiles. Also known as a boss or a paterae or patera.
  • Pair Cased - A pair cased watch is one with a double case. The movement is encased, and for additional protection this is fitted into an outer case.
  • Back Plate - On many types of clocks, the movement operates between two plates, usually made of brass, one at the back, and the other at the front, which forms a mount for the dial.

    On English bracket, mantle and table clocks the backplate was often visible through a glass door or panel from the late 17th century, and could be profusely engraved with scrolling decorations, flowers, foliage, birds, and figures. The engraving could also include the maker’s name.

    The amount of engraving reduced and became simpler as the 18th century progressed, and by 1800, had been reduced to a border, often with the maker's name in the centre. By the early 1800s all decoration had ceased, and only the maker's name was added, and by the Victorian era, most bracket, mantle and table clocks had no engraving.
  • Verge Escapement - A verge escapement is an early mechanical escapement used in clocks and other timekeeping devices. It is an early form of the escapement mechanism, which is used to regulate the movement of the hands of a clock or watch. The verge escapement consists of a vertical shaft called the verge, which is mounted on the clock's main plate. Attached to the verge are two pallets, which engage with the teeth of the escape wheel. As the escape wheel turns, the pallets alternately lock and release it, allowing the movement of the clock to be regulated. The verge escapement was widely used in early mechanical clocks, but it was eventually replaced by the more accurate and reliable anchor escapement.
  • Lever Escapement - A lever escapement is a type of escapement mechanism used in mechanical clocks and watches to regulate the timekeeping of the movement. It was invented by British clockmaker Thomas Mudge in the 18th century and is now widely used in modern mechanical timepieces.

    The lever escapement consists of three main parts: the escape wheel, the pallet fork, and the lever. The escape wheel is a wheel with teeth that is driven by the clock or watch's main spring or weight. The pallet fork is a two-pronged component that is positioned so that it can engage with the teeth of the escape wheel, and the lever is a small, L-shaped component that is attached to the pallet fork.

    When the escape wheel turns, one of its teeth pushes against one of the pallet fork's prongs, causing the fork to pivot. As the pallet fork pivots, it releases the tooth and engages with the next tooth on the opposite side of the escape wheel. At the same time, the lever, which is connected to the pallet fork, rocks back and forth, allowing the escape wheel to turn at a regulated rate.

    The lever escapement is prized for its accuracy and reliability and is commonly used in high-end mechanical watches. It allows for precise timekeeping by ensuring that the movement of the watch or clock is regulated and consistent, and its compact size makes it an ideal choice for use in small, portable timepieces.
  • Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
  • 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.

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A silver cased pocket watch, maker Thomas Mudge English Circa…