English 18K gold quarter repeating pocket watch Circa 1848

Gold keyless lever pocket watch
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Very fine English 18K gold quarter repeating keyless pocket watch, circa 1848.
A polished case with a hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial with radial Arabic numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds and blued steel spade hands.
A frosted gilt, full plate movement, jewels in screwed chatons, lateral lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring with terminal curve, swan-neck regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Dial and movement signed, case stamped EN.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: Dent  London
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Dent was a celebrated watchmaking dynasty founded in 1814 by Edward John Dent, known for high-quality watches, clocks, chronometers and regulators. Dent was born on August 19th, 1790 in London and he died on March 8th, 1853 in London. After starting life as a tallow chandler, Dent switched to watchmaking. From 1815 to 1829, he was employed by the Vulliamys and the Barrauds. In 1830 Edward John entered into a partnership with John Roger Arnold. In 1840 he opened his own workshop at 33 Cockspur Street, London. The company embraced the Victorian fervour for technological innovation and created amongst others precision chronometers to navigate the Royal Navy.
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Dent also proved a key player in Victorian horological history by manufacturing the Standard Clock at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, which was to keep ‘Greenwich Mean Time’, the time to which all others in the British Empire were referred (better known today as G.M.T.) and continued to do so until replaced by an electronic clock in 1946. Dent further made probably the most famous clock in the world, the Great Clock for the Houses of Parliament, commonly known as Big Ben. He was succeeded by his step-sons Frederick and Richard who assumed his name. In both the 19th and 20th centuries, the firm supplied marine chronometers and watches to the Royal Navy and also received Royal Warrants. It continued until relatively recently at 41 Pall Mall, London, as E. Dent & Co. Ltd.