English fusee lever watch by William Lister, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Gilt brass full-plate movement
of deep calibre with screwed backplate, large bright steel balance and cock engraved PATENT and Lever
Detach'd; signed on barrel bridge W. Lister / NEWCASTLE UPON TINE / No. 5067. Silver consular case
(much worn, with escutcheon almost obliterated), hallmarked London 1862 and signed IT (James Thickbroom
of Clerkenwell, London). Off-white enamel dial with roman chapter-ring, marked PATENT (several hairlines).
Gilt spade-&-pointer hands. High-domed bevelled glass, severely scratched. Diameter 55mm.
At first glance this watch has nothing (except its rather battered condition) to distinguish it from
the other early English levers on this site (e.g. Johnson, Field, Inskip), but it has some unusual
features. The back-plate is held on the pillars by screws rather than by the usual tapered brass pins
passing through bosses; this in my experience is quite unparalleled on a full-plate fusee watch, although
half- and three-quarter-plates were often constructed in this way. Moreover the pillars have been redistributed,
the one under the cock being moved to the left this means that when dismantling the watch one can remove
the backplate without disturbing the balance.
Although the case was certainly custom-made for
the movement (it is stamped with the serial number), I believe it is not the original one; the style
of the movement is at least 25 years earlier than the hallmark date. Possibly the watch began life
in a pair-case and was modernised by an early owner.
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