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Watch: PW.31-1923

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Maker: Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Lever watch signed in Chinese characters in silver case. In going order.

MOVEMENT: Cocked movement, engraved Chinese characters 'Jing Xi' on plate. Balance cock with chased and engraved table and foot, skeleton wedge of pi table with regulation scale engraved on foot with 'F' and 'S' at ends. Polished steel regulator sprung on to boss over centre of balance. Blued steel end piece, secured by three screws, with red end stone. Steel balance with nine gold screws, three arms. Pallet and escape. cock with two jewels. Second, third and fourth cock, third and fourth holes jewelled, two fixing screws. Front plate with free standing barrel, plate stamped '39123' under dial. The going barrel is a "hanging barrel" (i.e. it has no upper pivot). Recessed ring stop-work. The fourth wheel, rotating once in a minute and carrying the seconds hand, is in the centre of the movement, instead of the second ("centre") wheel, as is usual. The second wheel appears to drive the minute hand through a train of two equal sized wheels, and has a square on its arbor, which can be turned from the back, by a key, in order to set the hands. Single roller, divided lift, lever with long tail escapement.
The whole of the movement is elaborately engraved in the "montre Chinoise" style.

BRASS EDGE: Deep with hinged glazed cuvette, stamped '23' on side.

DIAL: White enamel on copper, slightly convex. Small radial Arabic quarters, 1/5th minute dots, radial line minute ring. Long thin radial Roman chapters.

HANDS: Blued steel, long thin centre seconds, spade hour and minute.

CASE: Plain single backed silver. Inside back stamped with an oval cameo mark 'M P' between stars. Chinese characters 'Jing Xi' formed in horizontal lines in circle. Stamped '2' and '39123'. Inside body scratches '^VIIII'. The back opens by pressing the pendant. The back of the inner case is of glass, allowing the movement to be seen.

KEY (A): Associated case brass, shield shaped handle with 'ABRECHT & Co. CALCUTTA' on one side and 'WATCH MAKERS AND JEWELLERS' on the other.

Notes

History note: Unknown before S.G. Perceval (1838-1922)

Legal notes

Spencer George Perceval Bequest, 1922

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1922) by Perceval, Spencer George

Dating

19th Century
1830 CE - 1840 CE

Components of the work

Dial composed of enamel ( white, enamel) copper
Movement composed of gold steel
Case composed of silver Diameter 55 mm Height 68.25 mm Thickness 20.5 mm
Inner Case Back composed of glass
Movement (plate) Diameter 47 mm
Movement (brass Edge) Diameter 49 mm
Movement, Hands

Techniques used in production

Engraving

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: 'Jing Xi'
  • Location: Movement, outer case
  • Method of creation: Engraved
  • Type: Inscription
  • Text: '39123'
  • Location: Movement and case
  • Method of creation: Stamped
  • Type: Number
  • Text: '23'
  • Location: Brass edge
  • Method of creation: Stamped
  • Type: Number
  • Text: '^VIIII'
  • Location: Inside body
  • Method of creation: Scratched
  • Type: Mark
  • Text: 'ABRECHT & Co. CALCUTTA' and 'WATCH MAKERS AND JEWELLERS'
  • Location: Key handle sides
  • Type: Inscription

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: PW.31-1923
Primary reference Number: 207300
No.: 37123
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Wednesday 9 December 2015 Updated: Wednesday 14 March 2018 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

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/207300 Accessed: 2024-11-22 04:11:12

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/207300 |title=Watch |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-22 04:11:12|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-207300

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