English gold quarter repeating cylinder watch Circa 1760

Gold pair cased quarter repeater by Thomas Mudge & William Dutton
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A fine English gold pair cased quarter repeating cylinder pocket watch, circa 1760. Hinged gilt brass full plate movement with conical pillars, fusee with chain, cylinder escapement with steel escape wheel, plain brass three armed balance, flat balance spring, gilt brass cock pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage, diamond endstone, worm gear set up, silver regulation dial, repeating on a bell in the back of the case activated by depressing the pendant. White enamel  dial with Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute track, Arabic five minute numerals and original blued steel beetle and poker hands. The bezel and back band outer case pierced with foliage and engraved with flowers, the inner case, polished, deep back, the band pierced and engraved with foliage, gilt dust cap. Movement and dust cap signed.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Signed: Tho. Mudge – W. Dutton London
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Thomas Mudge (1715-1794), an apprentice of George Graham, was one of the first to produce constant force watches. His ordinary watches with cylinder escapements are constructed along the same lines as Graham’s. In the 1760’s he developed the free lever escapement. In 1765 he and Larcum Kendall examined Harrison’s marine watch. In 1771 Mudge retired, devoting himself to research on marine chronometers. Mudge also invented a free escapement with remontoir that was described in the ‘Philosophical Transactions’ of 1794.