English gold pair cased cylinder pocket watch Circa 1781

Gold cylinder in pair cases by Alexander Cumming
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A very fine English 18 carat gold pair-cased cylinder pocket watch, Hallmarked London 1781. The watch features an engraved cock and a diamond endstone and uses a cylinder escapement. The white enamel dial shows Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the five-minute intervals and comes with original rose gold poker and beetle hands. The watch has plain cases that are lateral-hinged, both of which bear the matching maker’s mark MR/IL. The case is numbered, and both the cuvette and movement are signed and numbered, with matching numbers on both the case and movement.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 148 g
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Signed: Alex. Cumming London
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Alexander Cumming, born in 1733 in Edinburgh, was a mathematician, mechanic, and watchmaker. While little is known about his early life, he is renowned for his significant inventions. One notable invention was a watch he created in 1765 for George III, which also served as a barometer, accurately recording air pressure over time. This marked the first instance of a precise recording barograph. In 1766, Cumming produced a similar model for personal use, which was later acquired by Luke Howard and utilized for observations in the book The Climate of London after Cumming’s passing.