Heavy American silver Precision Patent Chronometer Circa 1870

Silver Precision Patent Chronometer by Charles Fasoldt
–
A heavy American Precision Patent Chronometer with Fasoldt’s patented coaxial double-wheel lever chronometer escapement, circa 1870. The timepiece features a silver à goutte case stamped with the case maker’s mark F and a transparent movement. It boasts a signed enamel dial with radial Roman numerals, subdial for seconds, and blued Breguet-style hands. The movement is key-wound, rhodium-plated, with a gold bridge for the jewels; a gear train includes six-armed wheels, a gold screw compensation balance, a gold passing spring with a terminal curve, and Fasoldt’s patented special form fine adjusting device. Additionally, the watch is inscribed with three patents: Pat. Feb. 1.1859, Pat. Apr. 5.1864, and Pat. Mar. 7.1865.
–
Diameter: 60 mm
–
Weight: 196 g
–
Signed: Charles Fasoldt, Patent Chronometer, Albany NY
–
Charles Fasoldt (1818-1898)
He was born in Germany and was sentenced to death in 1848 because of his participation in the revolution. He managed to escape from jail, though and emigrated to the United States. He settled in Albany and began setting up an impressive enterprise, which produced clocks, measuring instruments and microscopes, as well as his famous watches. He sold the watches for 150 to 300 dollars per piece, which was a considerable price at the time. All watches were designed by Fasoldt himself, and nearly all of them had his patented anchor escapement. For his pocket watches, he invented a mechanism for winding and setting the hands – this cleared the way for the change from key wind to crown wind systems. Fasoldt patented his extraordinarily dependable escapement on March 7, 1865; the system requires no greasing and has a very strong angle of drag at both anchor pallets. Fasoldt carried out a spectacular test to prove the reliability of his escapement: he attached one of his pocket watches as well as several watches of other makers to the connecting rod of an Empire Express train engine for a return trip Albany – New York – Albany. After the bumpy ride, Fasoldt’s watch showed only a slight deviation, while all the other watches had stopped after just a few minutes.