AN EARLY VICTORIAN EIGHT-DAY ROSEWOOD MANTEL CHRONOMETER

Details

AN EARLY VICTORIAN EIGHT-DAY ROSEWOOD MANTEL CHRONOMETER
Eiffe, No. 507, circa 1847

The silvered dial signed and numbered Eiffe, South Cresct. Bedford Sq. and 48 Lombard St. LONDON 507, Roman hour numerals within minute chapter with Arabic five minute intermarkers, blued steel hands, the hour of hollow lance format, dial winding, circular four pillar screwed and pinned movement, going barrel with overhang great wheel, 9,600 count slow train, Earnshaw escapement, cut bimetallic balance with peripheral screws and similarly secured segmental heat compensation weights, blued steel helical balance spring, spring foot detent with jewelled locking stone, contained in brass drum, rosewood lancet top case with locking bezel and glazed rear door
150 mm. dial diam., 275 mm. high

Lot Essay

James Sweetman Eiffe, 1800-1880, was an eccentric but very capable chronometer maker. He gave his chronometers unusual names i.e. 'The Hydrographer', 'Off she goes' and 'The North West Passage'. He was in business at Bedford Square 1835-1847.

An unusual feature of the train is that the diameter of the going barrel is very noticeably less than the diameter of the great wheel which forms part of the barrel; the intermediate wheel between the barrel and centre wheel is of solid brass with, very unusually, a brass pinion.

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