Important gold English minute repeating cylinder Circa 1766

Important gold minute repeating cylinder watch
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An English important gold minute repeating pair cased cylinder watch, circa 1766, gilded full plate movement, cylinder escapement, decoratively pierced and foliate engraved balance bridge, diamond endstone, fusee and chain, turned pillars, repeating on a bell to the inside case back, dust cap signed Thos. Mudge & Wm Dutton, movement signed T. Mudge, London
White enamel dial, Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute ring, decoratively pierced hands
Gold inner case, decoratively pierced and engraved with scrollwork, a mask to the base and rosette in the center of the back with winding aperture above, case maker’s mark P.M incuse (probably Peter Mounier) • gilt metal outer protective case with leather covering decorated with gold piqué work monogram and coronet of Graf von Schulenberg, bezels further decorated with gold pin work
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Diameter: 52 mm
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Signed: T. Mudge London
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The history of the minute repeating watch has been the subject of much debate over the years and no firm date can be placed on its introduction. For some years Thomas Mudge was credited with its introduction and Mudge no. 318, belonging to the Duke of Wellington, which is hallmarked 1756 (10 years before the present watch), is believed to be the earliest signed and dated minute repeating watch. However, it seems certain that minute repeating watches were made in Bavaria, and probably Switzerland earlier in the 18th century. Nevertheless, Mudge does appear to have been the first to have made a minute repeating watch which can be considered thoroughly English.

The present lot is one of four known surviving minute repeating watches signed by Mudge. Sequentially the earliest is Mudge no. 317, which closely resembles no. 318 mentioned above but survives as a movement only and so cannot be dated from the case. A third-minute repeating watch signed by Mudge, no. 407, was sold in 1961. The present watch is the fourth-minute
repeating watch known signed by Thomas Mudge and unlike the previous three which strike the hours, quarters and minutes in a conventional manner, this watch strikes after the hours, a double blow to the nearest ten minutes, followed by the minutes themselves. It is believed that a watch signed by Ellicott no.2844, which repeats in the same manner as the present watch, may in fact also be by Mudge.

The back of the outer case of the present watch has the monogram and coronet of Graf von Schulenberg and it is possible that Schulenberg was introduced to Mudge by his important patron, Count von Bruhl. The movement is signed “Thos. Mudge Willm. Dutton” which reflects the fact that William Dutton became a liveryman of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1766 and from this date was beginning to sign work jointly with his partner. Interestingly the movement has a bridge cock, a feature seldom seen in English watches and one very rarely used by Mudge.