Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Jun 28, 2020

LOT 318

SILVER DECK CHRONOMETER

CHF 10,000 - 20,000

HKD 80,000 - 160,000 / USD 10,000 - 20,000

TO BE SOLD WITHOUT RESERVE

Sold: CHF 7,500

John Arnold, London, No. 17. Re-cased in the 1970’s. Silver deck Chronometer with spring detent escapement and «O-Z» balance. Accompanied by a three-tier mahogany fitted deck box. Three-body, «consular», polished, maker’s mark «MRM» for Martin Matthews, swivel pendant. White enamel with radial Roman numerals, outer dot minute markers and Arabic five minute numerals, large subsidiary seconds. Blued steel «Spade» hands, the minute hand secured by a screw. 60 mm., frosted gilt full plate, ringed cylindrical pillars, 10 holes jeweled with screwed chatons, fusee with chain, Harrison’s maintaining power, Arnold spring detent escapement with large steel escape wheel, steel and brass «O-Z» balance with meantime adjustment screws and temperature adjustment nuts, free-sprung blued steel helical balance spring with terminal curves, diamond end stone, pierced and engraved single footed clock.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-27

Good

Custom-made
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Brand John Arnold

Year 1774 movement, silver case made in the 70’s

Dimensions DIAM. 65 mm.

Signature Dial and movement signed.

Notes

ARNOLD (1736-1799) After being apprenticed to his father in Cornwall, John Arnold established himself in London in 1760. Four years later, he presented GEORGE III with a half quarter repeating cylinder watch mounted in a ring. By the time he was 28 years old, his watches, whether verge or cylinder, displayed some original components such as straightline compensation curbs and minute repeating by increments of 10 minutes instead of the more normal 15. It was towards 1768 that he had begun his research into marine chronometers. In 1771 he established himself at 2 Adam Street, Adelphi Buildings, Strand, where most of his research into marine chronometers was carried out over the next eleven pivoted detents, in 1776, he invented terminal curves for the cylindrical balance spring and this was included in the patent for a bimetallic compensated balance that he took out in 1782. He subsequently devised numerous different balances such as the Double T, Double S, Z, O-Z and U. All the earliest chronometers were fitted with a pivoted detent escapement. His spring detent escapement, developed from 1782, was also included in the same patent. He was admitted to the Clockmakers' Company in 1783. Arnold was the first to employ the term Chronometer in the modern sense and who successfully found the way to simplify Harrison's timekeeper design. In 1787 he took his son, John Roger Arnold, into partnership, changing the business name to "ARNOLD & SON", which it retained until his death. To be sold without reserve