Swiss 18k gold virgule watch with dead seconds Circa 1820

Gold dead centre seconds virgule watch
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A fine, rare Swiss 18 carat gold open faced pocket watch with dead seconds and virgule escapement, circa 1820. Hinged, gilt brass full plate movement, cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, virgule escapement, three armed brass balance, continental pierced and engraved cock, lever at 6 for start/stop. White enamel dial, eccentric meantime chapter set to the lower half with Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions, dead centre seconds with one second divisions and Arabic 15 second numerals, the upper half decorated with a polychrome scene of a washerwoman in a landscape, pierced gold hour and minute hands, blued steel seconds hand. Plain case with flat band.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: No name
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It is unusual to find an independent dead seconds watch with the rarely utilized virgule escapement. The virgule escapement was never widely used because of its extreme delicacy and the difficulty of its construction and repair. Therefore watches with this escapement were made in small numbers and even fewer survive today.