93rd Auction

2016/5/14

Lot 48

A collection of 11 pocket watches
Ellicot, London, Movement No. 7376, Case No. 7376, 50 mm, 131 g, circa 1777
A very fine pair cased pocket watch with early cylinder escapement
Case: 18k gold, case maker's punch mark "ITP". Dial: enamel. Movm.: full plate movement, chain/fusee, three-arm polished steel balance.
Publication: Baillie p. 99 and in "Uhren" 5/1989 "The cylinder escapement" p.32
Another interesting piece in this collection is a verge pocket watch by Massy in London that shows a semi-circular 12 hour dial in its upper half; the hours of the day are indicated by a sun while the night hours are indicated by a moon – this is a fine example of the equinoctial watches that came up around the end of the 17th century.
John Ellicott (1706-1791)
One of the most eminent English watch- and clockmakers, established himself in business about 1728 and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1738. Ellicot was the inventor of a compensation pendulum and paid great attention to the use of the cylinder escapement only a few years after its improvement by Graham. In some of his later pieces the cylinders were made of ruby.

Sold

estimated
2.0006.000 €
Price realized
5.600 €