Newsome & Co., Coventry, No.15142: A rare and interesting silver openface chronometer karrusel keyless pocketwatch, in plain case, the signed and numbered white enamel dial with Roman numerals and Arabic five-minute divisions, the recessed centre with Admiralty mark, blued steel spade hands, sweep centre seconds, the signed and numbered frosted gilt three-quarter plate movement jewelled to the centre with screwed chatons, the 34-minute karrusel carriage with free-sprung bi-metallic balance, flat blued steel hairspring with end-curves, Earnshaw detent escapement mounted on the carriage, stamped between the plates BB Patent No.21412 under hinged cuvette stamped H.S.2, the case with makers mark W.B., in fitted two-tier mahogany box with observation lid and key

Details

Newsome & Co., Coventry, No.15142: A rare and interesting silver openface chronometer karrusel keyless pocketwatch, in plain case, the signed and numbered white enamel dial with Roman numerals and Arabic five-minute divisions, the recessed centre with Admiralty mark, blued steel spade hands, sweep centre seconds, the signed and numbered frosted gilt three-quarter plate movement jewelled to the centre with screwed chatons, the 34-minute karrusel carriage with free-sprung bi-metallic balance, flat blued steel hairspring with end-curves, Earnshaw detent escapement mounted on the carriage, stamped between the plates BB Patent No.21412 under hinged cuvette stamped H.S.2, the case with makers mark W.B., in fitted two-tier mahogany box with observation lid and key
56mm.diam.

Lot Essay

The patent number and initials between the plates refers to the patent taken out by Bahne Bonniksen, the inventor of the karrusel mechanism. The 34-minute karrusel was designed with central seconds hand, which was required for navigational and other scientific uses. Drawings and further information are given on pages 62 and 63 of Das Tourbillon by Reinhold Meis. The use of the chronometer detent escapement in the karrusel is highly unusual and would have been difficult to construct. However this watch was entered for trial at The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, from 4 July 1903 to 23 January 1904 for purchase by The Board of Admiralty together with eight other watches, where it obtained first place.
The other placings were:-
2nd Lindqvist 108 6th Chandler 57076
3rd Newsome & Co 150707 7th John Player & Son 33499
4th Newsome & Co 150708 8th J.White & Sons 37553
5th Thornelo 57075 9th J.Player & Son 33498

Interestingly, it would appear that all these watches apart from Lindqvist 108 were karrusels with chronometer detent escapement

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