A Swetman, London gilt pair case verge escapement watch, gilt…
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A Swetman, London gilt pair case verge escapement watch, gilt fullplate movement with fusee, large engraved balance cock. Verge escapement. With date complication. The fullplate signed Swetman London. The face with silvered dial, Roman numerals with subsidiary outer Arabic numbered minute track, gilt hands. Signed at centre. Outer gilt case with repousse foliate design. A repousse scene to rear, possibly of Mary and Joseph travelling to Bethlehem. Diameter: 56 mm. Provenance: Christie's, 8th October 1980, lot 227, the collection of Dr Trevor Hyde, Sydney, acquired from the above

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  • 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    Use of the fusee in clocks was superseded by the "going barrel" in the mid 19th century and for pocket watches at the beginning of the 19th century.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.
  • Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
  • Date Aperture - A date aperture is a cut out section in the face of a watch or clock, displaying the day of the month.
  • Embossed / Repousse - Embossing, also known as repousse, is the technique of decorating metal with raised designs, by pressing or beating out the design from the reverse side of the object.It is the opposite of chasing, where the decoration is applied from the front. An embossed or repoussed object may have chasing applied to finish off the design.
  • 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.

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