theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: April 2016
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Thursday, 14 April 2016. 8216; Clocks’ Magazine in its April 2016 issue has published the first part of my article on Alexander Watkins. Watkins was making fine chronometers in the mid-nineteenth century, trading from a prestigious London address: 67 Strand. For students of horology, Watkins is best known for his ‘miniaturised’ chronometer made for the 1851 Great Exhibition. With its unusually small movement and gold, delicately ornamented case, it is a very fine aesthetic and technical achievement.
theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: May 2016
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Sunday, 22 May 2016. Coach Watch Series - 5: William Carpenter. I featured William Carpenter in a post here, ‘Soho Sophistication’, 29 January 2016. Http:/ theoldwatchword.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/soho-sophistication.html. On 14 May another of his watches was sold at the Dr. Crott auction at Frankfurt Airport – it’s an especially nice one too! Movement #4552 is quite small at 68 mm. A particularly attractive feature is the visible escapement. Courtesy of Auktionen Dr. Crott, Germany. Sunday, 1 May 2016.
wkinsler.com
The Clock Page
http://wkinsler.com/clocks/index.html
New Haven Chauncey Jerome. Cuckoo Clock Mfg Co. Big Ben with Seconds Hand? Clocks on this page are not for sale. Do not ask! Identifies the movement as a type 1.211. These are numbers given by collectors to identify variations in the movements, and would not have been used by the manufacturer. Clock uses a single-ended #4 crank. In addition to the photos below, I have made a movie that demonstrates the operation of this clock's unique chiming and striking. Clock uses a double-ended #7 and #000 key. The 1...
theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: Ralph Gout - Man or Brand?
http://theoldwatchword.blogspot.com/2016/06/ralph-gout-man-or-brand.html
Friday, 3 June 2016. Ralph Gout - Man or Brand? The June 2016 issue of Antiquarian Horology. Includes my article on Ralph Gout. My study of Gout’s life and work was initially inspired by the acquisition of verge #21915. I then became interested in Gout as an example of ‘brand marketing’, something that sounds very 21. Century, but which was being exploited by English watchmakers two hundred years ago – the original working title for the article was ‘ Ralph Gout – Man or Brand. With the dates 1770-1836.
theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: November 2016
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Wednesday, 30 November 2016. The Bracebridges were watchmakers active in the late eighteenth and throughout the nineteenth centuries. Traditional horological reference resources – Britten’s , Baillie’s and Loomes – list three makers with this name, but I have identified five, in three generations. I believe Edward had two sons, James and Edward Charles. James would have been born circa 1788-92 and died circa 1849. This documentary reference to James is from the Sussex Advertiser, 27 March 1826:. Another ...
theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: Thomas Earnshaw 1749-c1914 (!)
http://theoldwatchword.blogspot.com/2016/10/thomas-earnshaw-1749-c1914.html
Tuesday, 25 October 2016. Thomas Earnshaw 1749-c1914 (! Anyone who studies English watchmaking in the period 1750-1850 will soon come across multiple references to Thomas Earnshaw. Though born in Lancashire, Earnshaw was for many years a prominent figure in London horological circles, noted both for technical brilliance and for a chaotic lifestyle, especially in regard to his finances. He particularly came to my attention when I was researching the post here, A Watch to Die For,. Thomas II (b1784) carrie...
theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: February 2016
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Saturday, 20 February 2016. The original draft of my article on John Grant of Fleet Street, published in the February 2016 issue of Clocks Magazine. Included some extensive narrative about and depiction of Benjamin Webb’s Patent Polar Watches. Subsequently the issue has been resolved – not just in regard to the specific material, but as a broad principle. John Grant’s business was distinguished by an innovative approach both to manufacturing and retailing. 8216; Important Watches, Clocks and AutomataR...
theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: The Bracebridges
http://theoldwatchword.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-bracebridges.html
Wednesday, 30 November 2016. The Bracebridges were watchmakers active in the late eighteenth and throughout the nineteenth centuries. Traditional horological reference resources – Britten’s , Baillie’s and Loomes – list three makers with this name, but I have identified five, in three generations. I believe Edward had two sons, James and Edward Charles. James would have been born circa 1788-92 and died circa 1849. This documentary reference to James is from the Sussex Advertiser, 27 March 1826:. Another ...
theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: June 2016
http://theoldwatchword.blogspot.com/2016_06_01_archive.html
Friday, 3 June 2016. Ralph Gout - Man or Brand? The June 2016 issue of Antiquarian Horology. Includes my article on Ralph Gout. My study of Gout’s life and work was initially inspired by the acquisition of verge #21915. I then became interested in Gout as an example of ‘brand marketing’, something that sounds very 21. Century, but which was being exploited by English watchmakers two hundred years ago – the original working title for the article was ‘ Ralph Gout – Man or Brand. With the dates 1770-1836.
theoldwatchword.blogspot.com
The Old Watchword: March 2016
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Monday, 28 March 2016. Coach Watch Series - 3: Timothy Williamson. In the late eighteenth century some notable export businesses were built in London, clocks and watches often being the stock-in-trade. There was considerable demand from the Ottoman Empire, China and India for highly decorative pieces of a quality standard not met by local craftsmen. Perhaps the best known English entrepreneur was James Cox, to whom I referred in my post, ‘Soho Sophistication.’. It is a twin train verge with Grand Sonneri...