MAGNIFICENT VERGE FUSEE ASTRONOMICAL POCKET WATCH C1795 With a Lunar Dial designed by James Ferguson FRS Start Price GBP 20,000.00 Current Price GBP 20,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, August 14, 2008 End Time Sunday, August 24, 2008 Location Hatfield See more about 'MAGNIFICENT VERGE FUSEE ASTRONOMICAL POCKET WATCH C1795' Description The large and magnificent astronomical watch offered for sale here could not be more representative of the age of enlightenment at the end of the eighteenth century. Mechanical exercises such as these were symbolic of the rational and enquiring nature of the age, reproducing the motions of the planets (the orrery), or as here showing both solar and lunar time together with the phases of the moon. This watch must have been made as a special commission, either by a scientific gentleman or possibly made for export to Russia, India or the Far East.   Some of the the well known astronomical watches by Margetts were certainly intended for these markets, for example a superb architectural clock with an astronomical dial by Matthew Boulton was sent to Russia specifically to be offered to Catherine the Great in Moscow. Intellectuals and industrialists such as Boulton were constantly exchanging ideas, and formed in various towns "Lunar Societies" which name derived from the fact that they were held in the evening during the full moon when one could safely travel at night. The most famous of these was held in Birmingham and whose members included as well as Boulton, Joseph Priestley, Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood. One can easily imagine any one of these luminaries owning a watch such as this. What is absolutely certain is that the dial of this watch was designed by another famous savant of the age, James Ferguson. Although of humble origins, he was both an eminent astronomer and mechanican. In 1763 he was made an honorary fellow of the Royal Society and became a friend of King George III, for whom he designed the dials and wheel work of the important four dialled astronomical clocks by Eardley Norton and Pinchbeck, both of which are still in the Royal collection. In 1773 Ferguson published "Select Mechanical Exercises" which contains amongst other things a plan for a clock dial showing the motions of the moon and by extension, the tides. The plate was later reproduced in Rees' Cyclopedia (see picture). Although several clocks are known with this lunar mechanism, the watch on offer here is as far as is known, the only watch ever made with this dial which in addition to Ferguson's original plan has further interesting features. THE DIAL INDICATIONS --- The indications shown are: Solar time by means of the hour hand on a 24 hour dial, the minute hand revolves once per hour as normal. The central disc is of silver with an enamel plate beneath, which shows through an aperture the lunar indications. These are:-- The moons age, the time of the moons' southing, and the time of high water at London bridge. For the latter, a fixed wire at the six o'clock position registers with an elliptical marker at the rotating centre. The central blued steel disc depicts the globe as viewed from the north pole and shows the latitudinal and longitudinal position of London Phases of the moon, which are shown through a hole at the edge of the disc together with the moons' age. This is shown by the retrograde motion of an enamel dial under the square aperture in the central disc, and achieved by differential gearing. The numbers of the wheelwork are the same as Ferguson's, that is the lunar wheel with 59 teeth and the solar wheel with 57 teeth working with a common pinion of 19 on the minute wheel.  The moons' position in relation to the sun is reproduced in miniature and indicated by 2 x 180 degrees on the edge of the central disc together with the aspects. These are - Opposition (180 degrees) sextile, trine and quartile. There are markings at either side of the solar dial which show times of sunrise and sunset throughout the year together with the astrological symbols for each month. This is read against the hour hand. There are compass points on the outer dial, North South East and West. The South is at the top, the reason being that when the moon is at its apex, it is pointing south and mirrors exactly what you see when you observe the moon. Apart from the central dial of silver, the outer chapter ring and the lower central disc are of white enamel of very high quality and in perfect condition with no chips or cracks and absolutely no restoration. The hands are of blued steel, one of the needle indicators is of gold.  THE MOVEMENT --- Signed Edwards, London 393 is a high quality and well made movement of large size (50mm dia.) with square pillars. It has a fusee and chain combined with robust wheelwork, and evidently made to be extremely reliable and highly resistant to the effects of wear. The verge escapement works well and the watch keeps reasonably good time as such watches will, when set up properly. This efficient design was initiated by Thomas Tompion in the late seventeenth century and developed in the eighteenth by makers such as George Graham and John Ellicott. Later escapements such as the cylinder or duplex were much more subject to wear as they needed oiling, and also were not nearly so robust. The large steel balance is housed under a balance bridge which is beautifully pierced and engraved at the centre of which is a large diamond endstone. The slide plate which has a silver figure piece also is profusely engraved with scrolls in the manner of the period. English watches with a balance bridge are often found to have a connection with Ellicott's workshop as many of his watches were designed for the continental market.  The movement of this watch was probably supplied to Edwards by one of Ellicott's suppliers, Joseph Stevens. Britten's list of watchmakers notes a James Edwards at 180 Fleet Street around 1790 -94. He is likely to be the retailer of this watch, as during this period Fleet Street was the centre of the scientific instrument trade in London. Interestingly enough, the Royal Society was also housed very near by. THE PAIR CASES -- Are of large size (65mm overall) and of gilt metal and in totally original and untouched condition. The gilding on the outer case and pendant is worn which has left the case with a most attractive patina, whilst that on the inner case survives, as one would expect. Inside the outer case is a watch paper printed for George Booth, Aberdeen. At this period, any watch made for a serious scientific purpose such as a compass or pedometer had a case of gilt metal. It is rare to find such things in silver cases and virtually unknown for them to be in gold. The only contemporary examples I can think of which are two or three gold astronomical watches by Margetts. The back of the inner case (57mm dia.) has a large revolving shutter covering the winding hole, exactly as that found on at least one early pocket chronometer by John Arnold. An unexpected feature of this revolving back is that it has engraved on it a curious perpetual calendar enabling one to determine the day and date for any particular month in any particular year. This is achieved by means of the dominical letters. These letters A -G correspond with the seven days in the week. Each year has its own letter except for leap years which have two, one for days up till 29th February and the other for the rest of the year. This year being a leap year, the dominical letters are F and E. So to ascertain the day and date combination for a particular month the disc is turned until for example the letter E correponds to the month in question, and for example it can be seen that May the 5th will be a Monday, the 6th Tuesday etc.& etc. the dates being engraved in a spiral so that each month has four sets of dates for that particular day. Altogether this is one of the most unusual and interesting watches one could ever have a chance of acquiring, one would surely think that it either belongs in a museum or scientific institution - or in your collection.   Place a Bid!