JOHN ROGER ARNOLD, LONDON, NO. 2. CIRCA 17

細節

A George III mean and sidereal pocket chronometer with 'Z' balance
John Roger Arnold, London, No. 2. Circa 17
The white enamel dial signed JRA No: 2, the reverse of the dial numbered 18, twin eccentric Roman chapter rings, the right side displaying Greenwich meantime with blued steel Breguet-style hour hand, the left side displaying sidereal time with blued steel stellar hour hand, centred below by a subsidiary seconds ring, the gilt full plate movement signed John R Arnold London No. 2 Inv. et Fec., the balance cock engraved with scroll work and a dolphin's head, gold helical balance spring, bimetallic 'Z' balance, Arnold spring detent escapement, the fourth wheel giving drive to the delicate bifurcated motionwork beneath the dial, the associated silver consular case with engraving to the band and rear cover
60 mm. diam.

出版

Hans Stager, 100 Years of precision timekeepers from John Arnold to Arnold & Frodsham, Stuttgart, 1997, pp. 147-8

注意事項

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

拍品專文

Hans Staeger op. cit. writes;

The numbering on this chronometer is odd and out of sequence. When taking over the firm from his father in June 1796, J.R. Arnold had assigned his chromometers with four digit numbers, as is shown by a series of extant chronometers dating from that time. No other watch made by J.R. Arnold is known to bear a one or two digit number.
The story becomes more interesting when one looks at John Arnold's pocket watches more closely. A watch sold at auction by Sotheby's, London on July 21, 1806, lot 325 from the estate of Alexander Aubert was signed John Arnold No.1. The description was as follows;
A big pocket chronometer in gold case, expansion escapement, gold helical spring, jeweled bearings up to fusee, mean and sidereal time indications. It was believed to have been Aubert's personal pocket chronometer and was purchased by a Mr. J. Farny for the price of 63gns. As yet pocket chronometer No. 2 made by John Arnold is unknown. There is a note at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, noting the use of John Arnold pocket chronometer No. 2 during a North West Passage navigation and an Artic expedition in 1824. Could this have been that very chronometer?