Tri-colour Gold Pocketwatch by Robert Roskell Liverpool (1850)
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
- 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.
- 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Use of the fusee in clocks was superseded by the "going barrel" in the mid 19th century and for pocket watches at the beginning of the 19th century.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. - Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
- Hunt & Roskell - Hunt & Roskell, were a firm of manufacturing and retail jewellers and silversmiths, founded in 1843 by Robert Roskell a famous pocket watch maker from Liverpool, and John Samuel Hunt who had previously been in partnership with silversmith Paul Storr, trading Storr & Co. (1819-22), Storr & Mortimer (1822-38), Mortimer & Hunt (1838-43) and then Hunt & Roskell (1843-97).
Hunt & Roskell had retail premises at 156 New Bond Street and a manufacturing workshops at 26 Harrison Street, near Clerkenwell.
They were among the finest of the Victorian silversmith, manufacturing in the high Victorian style, and their craftsmanship was recognised by their appointment as silversmiths and jewellers to Queen Victoria.
John Samuel Hunt continued as a partner until his death in 1865, when he was succeeded by his son, John Hunt (d.1879). Robert Roskell remained in the firm until his death in 1888. In 1889 the firm was taken over by J.W. Benson and continued in business as Hunt & Roskell Ltd until c.1965.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
An English fusee lever pocket watch, key wind and set movement, circular gilded dial with Roman numerals, engraved 18ct gold case, 40 mm diameter. Hallmarked London, 1874-75.
A large mid Victorian engraved 18ct gold open face pocket watch, the consular case hallmarked Chester 1856. Ornate gold, two colour dial with relief floral decoration and Roman numerals. Fusee and chain drive movement by Hirst Bros. Leeds. Diameter 55 mm.
A Swiss 19th century ladies open face fob watch, c.1890, the floral engraved stamped case in 18ct gold with gold dial. Lever 3/4 plate movement, (some dents in the back cover). Diameter 40 mm.
W Ehrhardt London An 18ct gold open-faced watch mvt 73156 English circa 1880, english lever movement signed and numbered W. Ehrhardt no. 73156, gold engine-turned dial, foliate engraved centre, Roman numerals, blued steel hands, foliate engraved case, move