Preview by appointment, Auction starts at 11am.
THIS IS A PARTIAL CATALOG as of 08/23/2022, subject to revision.
Although this auction has a live close by a live-streamed auctioneer, there will be no in-person bidding.
Bids will be accepted online and by pre-arranged telephone bids.
DESCRIPTION:
APW - James Warne, London, verge fusee of English manufacture with original dust-cap marked to Colonial era American John Shute of Philadelphia, 49mm, silver OF original pair cases bearing London hallmarks for 1756, incuse "D . A" marking for casemaker Daniel Aveline, white enamel dial, KWKS (a key is included as pictured), verge escapement, gilt mvt with pierced and foliate scrolled balance cock, gilt locking dust-cap signed with "John Shute, Philadelphia, No. 1159" marking, s#1159 with matching serial number marked to dust-cap. Though of English manufacture and movement signature, we have chosen to present this watch among the American portion of our catalog due to the significance of its original dust-cap being marked for a Colonial era American figure. This watch also comes with a binder full of documentation establishing a thoroughly researched history of John Shute and associated family members who were prominent figures in Colonial American, Revolutionary America, and early Republic of America history. Per this research, John Shute was born in the 1730s and died in the 1790s. John Shute was the nephew of Philadelphia mayor Attwood Shute, who passed away in 1758 and left John Shute as one of the beneficiaries of his estate, which suggests the possibility that John Shute may have purchased the present watch with the funds obtained through this inheritance. While we have no record of the John Shute this watch was marked for having served in the American Revolution; John Shute's nephew (the son of his brother, Henry) was also named John Shute, and was a notable figure in the Revolutionary War having served as a Lieutenant in the 4th PA Artillery at Valley Forge and signed an Oath Of Allegiance in 1777/78 while listed as deputy quartermaster-general. In all a delightful piece for the early Americana collector!
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, excellent cosmetic mvt condition overall, excellent gilt tone, some fine scratches with greatest concentration around pillar area; dial with scattered hls, small chip at 6 to left side of aperture for opening latch; excellent hands, minute with finish loss; outer case shows medium wear, dent to rear perimeter adjacent upper side of hinge, some mild scattered dings and nicks elsewhere, replacement button and latch with good function; inner case with damage at its hinge having a metal tear separating the bezel from two of its three knuckles and causing resultant excess play of hinge, case shows medium wear, profuse fine to micro-fine scratches to rear from past key slips, some circumferential indentation of perimeter, pendant junction with evident past repair having some solder excess visible internally and externally; bow pivots freely; domed glass crystal with numerous surface scratches and nicks.
ESTIMATE:
$800
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$1600
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DESCRIPTION:
APW - Charles Billon, Philadelphia, verge fusee with calendar, likely of French manufacture and marked for this early American retailer, 62mm, silver OF original case with incuse "I I H B" casemaker's marking, white enamel dial with small gold foil dots at 5-minute positions and separating the calendar date numerals, winding aperture at 2, KWKS (key not included with this lot), verge escapement, gilt mvt with pierced and foliate scrolled two-footed balance bridge, spring-loaded gilt dust-cap, s#552 within case. A large sized and very attractive early American marked piece that likely dates to approximately 1800. Charles Billon was a watchmaker in Philadelphia who was active between 1798 and 1819.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, calendar hand not advancing properly as time is set forward as it is skipping ahead more frequently than appropriate, overhaul needed for calendar function, excellent-plus cosmetic mvt condition overall, bright gilt tone with few fine scratches, some small areas of light haze; virtually flawless dial with tiny edge nick near 10; excellent hands, minute is a replacement; case shows light wear, an attractive dark patina throughout, small scratches to right side from rough past openings, short crease-type dent to upper rear perimeter, numerous dings scattered elsewhere to rear, small bit of solder excess evident inside rear at lower portion of planchet seam; bow pivots freely; good domed glass crystal.
ESTIMATE:
$700
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$1400
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DESCRIPTION:
APW - Effingham Embree, New York, verge fusee presumably of English manufacture and marked for this early American retailer, 55mm, silver OF original pair cases bearing London hallmarks for 1791, casemaker's marking in cameo but appears likely to be "I T" for John Turner, outer containing four early American case papers for Massachusetts watchmakers with three being for Goddard firms of Worcester (one marked "L. Goddard & Son," one marked "P. Goddard," and one marked "P & D Goddard") and the other paper is for Wm. Beecher of Southbridge, KWKS (key not included with this lot), verge escapement, gilt mvt with pierced and foliate scrolled balance cock with a bird of prey between neck and center, s#413 with matching serial number within inner case. Watch comes as pictured with a 14 inch silver chain having a snake form terminal end hook. A terrific early American marked watch, in context of early American history, the 1791 date of this piece falls during the first term of George Washington's presidency. Per the superb information at Richard Newman's www.colonialwatches.com website, Effingham Embree was born in 1759 and served in the New York Militia before the British occupation of New York. Embree was then active as a watchmaker and clockmaker in New York between 1781 and 1797. Please see the following link for more excellent information on Effingham Embree ... https://www.colonialwatches.com/american-pocket-watches/federal-period-watches/effingham-embree The early American character of this watch is further enhanced by its four early American case papers which include three from the historically important Goddard family.
CONDITION:
Mvt: NR, fully wound, will tick briefly with a twist and occasionally will continue on for longer periods, overhaul needed, excellent cosmetic mvt condition overall, scattered fine to micro-fine scratches, some haze to signature plate; excellent dial with some scattered mild fine scratches; fine mismatched hands; outer case shows light wear, an attractive dark patina, some scattered dings and nicks to rear, latch with good function but button is missing with all portions above the surrounding case surface lost; inner case shows light wear, a moderate patina, dings to its right edge, past repair of pendant junction evident with solder excess visible internally and externally; bow pivots freely; domed glass bull's-eye crystal with some short scratches and small surface nicks.
ESTIMATE:
$700
-
$1400
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DESCRIPTION:
APW - Pearsall & Embree, New York, verge fusee presumably of English manufacture and marked for this early American retail partnership, 50mm, silver OF original pair cases bearing London hallmarks for 1783, incuse "I B" marking likely for casemaker John Bullocke, inner case with initials engraved to rear, white enamel dial, beetle and poker hands, KWKS (key not included with this lot), verge escapement, gilt mvt with pierced and engraved foliate scrolled balance cock having a bird at its neck, signed gilt locking dust-cap, s#46320. A very attractive piece hallmarked to the closing year of the Revolutionary War, this watch therefore falls right on the dividing line between the end of the Colonial Era and the dawn of the Federal Era. Thomas Pearsall and Effingham Embree were in partnership from 1781 until 1790, and interestingly they appear to have been at very different ends of the political spectrum, with Pearsall a Loyalist who signed a petition against the Continental Congress, and Embree rumored to have been a member of the Committee of Safety under Captain Egbert. By July 1781, the wealthy Quaker Pearsall was a "Loyalist refugee," while Embree apparently kept the shop operating. The aforementioned dates and biographical info on Pearsall and Embree are among the info contained in an excellent piece of research by David Grace titled "Pearsall and Embree: A Short Business Genealogy" that was previously available online, but for which we can unfortunately no longer find a working link.
CONDITION:
Mvt: NR, chain is present but fusee will not turn to wind, balance will tick with some reverse pressure given at fusee, overhaul needed and we suspect that the rigidity of fusee may be as often occurs when old shark or whale oil hardens up on the internal fusee clicks, excellent cosmetic mvt condition overall, few fine scratches, some clouding and smudge of plate surfaces that may improve with a cleaning; dial with flake at left of center, some scratches with the most notable being from 4 to 5 and below "New York," some scattered lesser scratches and fine scratches elsewhere; fine hands, hour with oxide and finish loss; outer case shows very light wear, an attractive dark patina, some mild fine scratches, mild dent to lower-right perimeter of rear, few mild dings to left center of rear, protruding ding left of rear center, button latch good though with button dented; inner case shows very little wear, a moderate patina, shallow circumferential indentation around sides, mild ding above winding aperture, some mild pinpoint nicks to rear, evident repair to pendant junction with solder excess visible internally and externally; bow pivots freely and with some side-to-side play within pendant through-hole; domed glass crystal with small edge chip at bottom-right.
ESTIMATE:
$700
-
$1300
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DESCRIPTION:
APW - Baldwin & Jones, Boston, verge fusee with seconds-register and hacking function, presumably of English manufacture and marked for this early American retailer, 56mm, silver OF original pair cases bearing Birmingham hallmarks for 1818, incuse "V & Co" marking for casemaker Vale & Company, outer containing paper for Jubal Howe "Watch Maker at Jones, Lows & Ball of 123 Washington St., Boston," white enamel dial, hacking slide below dial at 4, KWKS (key not included with this lot), verge escapement, diamond endstone, gilt mvt with ornately engraved balance cock, gilt locking dust-cap, s#724. An attractive piece with early American contract marking. The case paper of this example is of particular historical significance to early American horology, as Jubal Howe was an apprentice of Luther Goddard that went on to head the watch repair department of Jones, Lows & Ball during which time a young Aaron L. Dennison was employed for repair service and worked under Howe's tutelage.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, good hacking function, excellent-plus cosmetic mvt condition overall, excellent gilt tone, some typical micro-fine scratches; dial with some hls, very small surface flake left of 2, some edge wear under bezel between 12 and 1:30, some small flaking to lower-left of seconds-register hole; excellent hour and seconds-hand, minute hand is a brass replacement with mild bend; outer case shows light wear, dent to lower-left perimeter of rear, dent to bezel at 8, dings to bezel at 6, few lesser dings and nicks elsewhere, hinge missing one end-cap, button latch good; inner case shows light wear, some scattered dings and nicks with the most notable being a protruding ding to upper rear; bow pivots freely; glass bull's-eye crystal with some scattered scratches.
ESTIMATE:
$600
-
$1200
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