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Gilt Metal Cased Pocket Watch by James Jones, c. 1800

A gilt metal cased open-face pocket watch, maker James Jones. English circa 1800. Gents open face watch in a mercurial gilt case. Edge of back of case lightly chased, the centre of the back with a monogram "LIC" in script within an eight-pointed panel. Long circular. pendant, stirrup bow. White enamel dial, damaged near hole for winding. Black Arabic hour numerals, damaged gold. hands. movement is key wound, winding through the dial. fusee, verge escapement. Table of cock. finely pierced with an exotic bird and a mask near the foot, which is solid with a chased foliate. design. Silver regulator dial, a chased hand with its index finger extended as an indicator. Signed "Jas Jones, London, No 280". Squared pillars, small fusee stop. There are three James. Jones listed in Baillie: 1. Hatton Wall, 1774. 2. Bunhill Row, 1770-1824. 3. Banner Street, 1795-1815. Any one of these is a possibility. Purchased from Mrs. de Vries, Cleveland prior to 1972. Dimensions: 1.77 in. diameter, 2.24 in. high

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  • Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
  • 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.
  • Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
  • 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 gilt metal cased open-face pocket watch, maker James Jones.…