DESCRIPTION:
EPW - George Graham, London, cylinder fusee, 50mm, 20-22K gold original pair cases bearing London hallmarks for 1749, incuse "I W" marking beneath star for casemaker John Ward, later style replacement white enamel dial of likely mid-19th century vintage, gold hands likely of similar mid-19th century vintage, KWKS, cylinder escapement, gilt mvt with pierced and foliate scrolled balance cock with grotesque mask at neck, signed gilt locking dust-cap, s#6410 with matching serial number within case. Gross weight of assembled watch 80.8 dwt (125.8 g). A good example of Graham's cylinder escapement with attractive original case. George Graham was born in 1674, apprecticed to Henry Aske in 1688, was admitted a Freeman of the Clockmakers' Company in 1695 and immediately became a journeyman for the renowned Thomas Tompion, and ultimately became partners with Tompion and continued the business following Tompion's death in 1713 until Graham's own passing in 1751. Selections from the collection of Tom McIntyre. Mr. McIntyre's website contains stories on many of the watches, and his info for the present piece can be seen at: https://awco.org/awcoshow.php?artname=George+Graham+Cylinder&artid=245&collid=109&cidx=1
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, excellent cosmetic mvt condition overall, excellent gilt tone, small letters "R" and "P" scribed on plate surface adjacent barrel arbor, some typical fine and micro-fine scratches elsewhere; dial with patched edge chip near 6, edge flake at 9, short scratch at perimeter near 8; nearly mint hands; outer case shows very light wear, small very mild dent toward left perimeter of rear near latch rivet position, button latch good; inner case shows light wear, circumferential denting around sides, some scattered dings and shallow denting to rear and rear perimeter; bow pivots freely and with some side-to-side slide with its pin within pendant; good domed glass crystal.
ESTIMATE:
$3000
-
$6000
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