Rare Gold Quarter Repeating Duplex

Signed: Arnold & Dent, 84 Strand, London

Hallmarked London: 1829

A 19th Century English quarter repeating duplex influenced by Breguet in a gold open face case. Keywind gilt bar movement with suspended going barrel. Plain cock with polished steel regulator, diamond endstone.

Compensation balance with blue steel spiral hairspring. Duplex escapement, brass escape wheel, pivots with endstones. Quarter repeating on two polished steel gongs operated by a pull and twist plunger in the band.

Engine turned gold dial with subsidiary seconds, faded Roman numerals, blue steel hands. Engine turned 18 carat open face case, pull and twist repeat plunger in the band at three o'clock, with ribbed middle.

Signed and numbered clip on gold cuvette locked by a screw (now lacking), maker's mark CAP in an oval.

An interesting watch, both for its design and signature. It bears a number of influences from the French maker, A L Breguet. These include the pull and twist repeating plunger, invented by Breguet.

The foot of a gong bridging it and its placement in the band with rather than through the pendant is also peculiar to the French master.

The way the gold cuvette is secured by a screw to the movement is another feature used almost exclusively by Breguet, although Dent has used a belt and braces approach by making it clip to the case band.

Breguet relied on the screw to hold the cuvette into a recess in the case. It would appear the watch started manufacture before Arnold and Dent became partners on September 30th 1830 but was sold afterwards.

The movement is engraved "Dent, London - 264". This number appears to agree with a chronometer by E J Dent, No. 226, also hallmarked 1829.

The cuvette however is signed "Arnold & Dent 84 Strand London 3940" which is in line with Arnold's numbering of a watch No. 3840, hallmarked 1826.

Hans Staeger notes in book that Arnold and Dent watch No. 4007, hallmarked 1831 bears the address "84 Strand" for the first time. This watch pre-dates it and is probably the earliest known at that address.

Diameter: 43 mm