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Watch: M/P.72 & A-1913

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Maker: Gray & Constable

Entities

Categories

Description

Verge watch in enamelled gold case set with pearls, with chatelaine.

MOVEMENT: Full plate movement. Barrel bar engraved 'Gray & Constable London' and '124' scratched after 'London.' Balance cock, table engraved with full scroll work and with regulator scale numbered 5 to 20. Raised centre, friction blued steel regulator, blued steel end piece fixed with two polished steel screws, rose cut diamond end stone, foot engraved, under-side of balance foot stamped '2490'. Polished steel balance, over spring. Brass spring cock. Blued steel cuvette spring, and clip. Top plate stamped '90' next to contrate wheel. Barrel bridge engraved as above.
Potance screwed to top plate, foot with moulding at end. Rectangular counter potance. Pillar plate with four turned pillars, two tapped for fixing dust ring and cuvette. Centre wheel recessed. Third wheel bridge. Under dial, recessed Geneva type fusee to stop work, cock for hand-set wheel. Stamped '2490' under set-up click, and scratched '7' on edge. Fusee and chain with Geneva stop-work under dial, no lips on barrel, set-up click under dial. Hand set from back between fusee and barrel. Verge escapement. Train planted clockwise.

DIAL: White enamel on copper, counter enamel, three feet. Blue markings, ladder minute ring, diamonds at quarters, radial gothic Roman chapters.

HAND: Gold hands, fleur-de-lys style.

BAND AND CUVETTE: Gilt brass, thin band fitted to movement by two screws through side. Thin cuvette, two holes engraved 'Wind up' and 'Set hands', inscribed '11-4-76' at edge.

CASE: Gold enamelled and set with pearls. Body back with outer thin white enamel ring, blue ring, and gold ring set with twenty-nine large pearls with smaller pearls between. Centre engine-turned covered translucent green enamel. Bezel, outer thin white enamel ring, blue enamel ring, and gold ring set with pearls. Pendant, oval, lower half with light blue and white enamel strips. Ring of seventy-four set pearls above, plain oval gold section, top oval with edge set with pearls, central press piece. Bow stirrup shaped set each side with pearls.

CHATELAINE (A): Gilt clip with bar chased and enamelled with white and light blue enamel and green translucent enamel, en suite with case. Five drops, two short gold chains with small un-cut seals, one moss agate, the other a light red stone. Three drops to clips, one straight key enamelled en suite with case.

Legal notes

Bequeathed by Frank Gray Smart

Place(s) associated

  • London ⪼ England

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1913-06-05) by Smart, Frank Gray

Dating

18th Century
Production date: circa AD 1780

Components of the work

Band, Cuvette composed of gilt brass
Chatelaine composed of moss agate gilt enamel Diameter 43.25 mm Length 92 mm
End Stone composed of diamond
Case composed of pearls Diameter 47.25 mm Height 62 mm Thickness 16.75 mm
Dial, Case composed of enamel
Dial composed of copper
Hands, Case composed of gold
Movement composed of steel brass (alloy)
Movement (top Plate) Diameter 36.25 mm
Movement (pillar Plate) Diameter 38 mm
Movement (casing) Diameter 39 mm
Brass Band O.D. Diameter 40.25 mm
Movement (pillar) Height 2.75 mm
Movement, Case

Materials used in production

Semi precious stone
Glass

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: 'Gray & Constable London' and '124'
  • Location: Movement
  • Method of creation: Engraved
  • Type: Maker's name
  • Text: '2940', '90' and '7'
  • Location: Movement
  • Method of creation: Stamped, scratched
  • Type: Number
  • Text: '11-4-76'
  • Location: Inside cuvette
  • Method of creation: Scratched
  • Type: Number

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: M/P.72 & A-1913
Primary reference Number: 207239
Gem catalogue no.: 733
Watch no.: 124
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Thursday 3 December 2015 Updated: Wednesday 14 March 2018 Last processed: Wednesday 7 February 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Watch" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/207239 Accessed: 2024-03-28 20:14:19

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/207239 |title=Watch |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-03-28 20:14:19|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-207239

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