Arnold. An interesting pocket chronometer movement with an early OZ compensation balance

SIGNED JOHN ARNOLD, NO. 75, 1781

Details

Arnold. An interesting pocket chronometer movement with an early OZ compensation balance
Signed John Arnold, No. 75, 1781
The frosted gilt chain fusee movement with pierced and engraved cock with amplitude limiting device, three-armed monometallic balance with two bimetallic strips with gold screwed weights attached to the rim, gold helical spiral, Arnold's chronometer escapement with spring detent, the (later) white enamel dial with Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds and gold hands, in (later) plain silver openface case, with wooden two-tier observation box, dial and movement signed and numbered
55 mm. diam. dial

Literature

Hans Staeger, 100 Years of Precision Timekeepers from John Arnold to Arnold & Frodsham 1763-1862, 1997, pp. 153 and 154
Vaudrey Mercer, Arnold & Son, AHS, 1972, pp. 60

Lot Essay

The mechanism is illustrated and described in Hans Staeger's book and suggests that this is a very early OZ compensation balance.

In his book Vaudrey Mercer suggests that this is the earliest watch to be fitted with an OZ balance, which continued in use until 1791.

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