English silver center seconds lever with carrousel Circa 1909

Silver lever watch with center seconds and 34-minute carrousel 
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A fine English silver open-faced centre seconds ‘kew class A’ 34-minute carrousel watch, circa 1909.
Gilded 3/4 plate movement, 34-minute carrousel with lever escapement, bimetallic compensation balance, decoratively engraved balance cock, diamond endstone.
White enamel dial with a slightly recessed centre, Roman hours and Arabic minutes, outer minute ring calibrated to fifths of a second. Plain polished case back, 9ct pink gold bow, hinge and handset button, the button with silver protective shoulders. Plain polished silver cuvette. The case back and cuvette Hallmarked London 1909, dial and movement signed and numbered. Comes with an associated chain.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Signed: Dent Watchmaker to the King 61 Strand and 4 Royal Exchange London
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This watch was certified ‘Class A Especially Good’ by the Kew Observatory in July 1911 (certificate No. 14580) when it scored 86.6 marks. Tests at Kew were made over a 45 day period, watches were assessed first in vertical and then horizontal position, at a range of temperatures.
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The ébauche is by Bahne Bonniksen whose punch mark (and patent number) are to the inside of the pillar plate.
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The firm of E. Dent and Co was founded by Edward John Dent (1790-1853). Edward was employed by the Vulliamys and the Barrauds before going into partnership with John Roger Arnold in 1830. In 1840 Edward set up his own company and, a year before his death, he won the contract for creating the ‘Big Ben’ clock. He was succeeded by his stepsons 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.