
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
18ct Gold Pair-cased With Tri-coloured Face Chester, 1822
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 1822
- Historical period
- Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
- Country of origin
- England
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 1664
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 1664)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 18ct Gold Pair-cased With Tri-coloured Face Chester (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 1664), this is a pocket watch, made in England, dated 1822. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop
Step into the elegance of the early 19th century with the “18ct Gold Pair-cased With Tri-coloured Face Chester – 1822,” a masterfully crafted pocket watch that epitomizes the sophistication and precision of its era. This remarkable timepiece, originating from Chester in 1822, showcases the collaborative craftsmanship of Thomas Helsby of Liverpool, who meticulously fashioned the 18ct gold case, and Thomas and John Ollivant of Manchester, the ingenious minds behind the movement. More than just a watch, this chronometer features a side black lever on the main case, accessible when the outer case is removed, enhancing its functionality. The tri-coloured face, adorned with an intricate embossed flower design against a matt finish, adds a touch of artistic flair, while the engine-turned sides on the reverse display an exquisite level of detail. Recently serviced and in good working order, this key-wound timepiece, which winds anti-clockwise, is a testament to both beauty and utility. Weighing 159 grams and featuring a round 18k gold case with dimensions that reflect the George IV style, this watch is a prized collectible. Its origin in England during the period of 1820-1829 further cements its historical significance, making it an exceptional addition to any collection. This is an exquisite 18ct gold pair-cased pocket watch that was made in Chester in 1822. The case was crafted by Thomas Helsby in Liverpool, while the movement was made by Thomas and John Ollivant of Manchester. This timepiece is not just a watch, it is also a chronometer and has a side black lever on the main watch case, which can be accessed when the outer case is removed. The face is particularly striking with its fine 3-colour embossed flower design against a matt finish. Additionally, the sides feature beautiful engine turning on the reverse. The movement has been recently serviced and is in good working order. It is key wound and winds anti-clockwise. Overall, this is a stunning timepiece that is both beautiful and functional, perfect for any collector. Creator: James & John Ollivant Case Material: 18k Gold Weight: 159 g Case Shape: Round Movement: Manual Wind Chronograph: Case Dimensions: Height: 8 mm (0.32 in)Width: 1.5 mm (0.06 in)Diameter: 5.5 mm (0.22 in) Style: George IV Place of Origin: England Period: 1820-1829 Date of Manufacture: 1822 Condition: Good
Historical context
Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
Harrison solves longitude; Mudge invents the lever; Breguet's Paris workshop defines the modern watch.
From 1750 to 1850 the watch became a precision instrument. Mudge's lever escapement, the cylinder escapement, Lépine's thin bar calibre, Breguet's innovations (overcoil, tourbillon, perpétuelle) and the pocket chronometer of Arnold and Earnshaw all date from this period, while verge watches remained common in cheaper production.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Early Modern Horology
Atlas type guide
Verge and pair-cased watches
After Christiaan Huygens and Robert Hooke applied the balance spring around 1675, the verge watch became a reasonably reliable timekeeper and the minute hand became standard. Through the eighteenth century the typical English watch was a pair-cased verge: a fusee movement with a pierced, engraved balance cock, housed in an inner case and a separate protective outer case, often of repoussé gold, shagreen, tortoiseshell or enamel.
French watches of the same period were thicker 'oignons', later replaced by elegant thinner watches following Jean-Antoine Lépine's bar-bridge calibre of c. 1770. Dutch, Swiss and German makers supplied international markets, and verge watches were made until the mid-nineteenth century as cheaper alternatives to the cylinder and lever.
What to look for
- The pierced balance cock on the backplate: winged (continental) or with a foot (English); its style dates the watch.
- Fusee and chain visible through the movement; key winding through the dial (early) or case back.
- Hallmarks inside English silver or gold cases, which give a date letter.
- Maker's name and serial number engraved on the backplate; watch papers inside outer cases.
- Enamel dials (after c. 1720) versus earlier champlevé metal dials.
Dating clues
- Champlevé dials: c. 1680–1730; white enamel dials thereafter.
- English case hallmarks give the year of assay to within a year.
- Verge watches persisted in cheap production until c. 1850.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Verge escapementFuseeBalance spring (hairspring)Verge escapement
Related records
Pocket Watches · c. 1740–60
Watch by Charles Cabrier II, England, c. 1740–60 (The Met 17.190.1458)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Pocket Watches · c. 1740–60
Watch by Charles Cabrier II, England, c. 1740–60 (The Met 17.190.1461)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Pocket Watches · c. 1751–52
Watch by John Rich, England, c. 1751–52
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Pocket Watches · c. 1753
Gold watch, signed 'Jno. Ellicott, London, 3719', the inner case pierced and engraved, with a casemaker's mark 'JB', London, about 1753
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Pocket Watches · 1750–1810
Astronomical watch by George Margetts No.3043 in pair case, 1750–1810
Science Museum Group, London
Pocket Watches · 1750–1775
Watch made for the Turkish market
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Pocket Watches · c. 1760
Clock-watch by Sr. Joseph Martineau, England, c. 1760
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Pocket Watches · c. 1760
Watch by John Ellicott, England, c. 1760
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
