English gilt silver duplex captain’s pocket watch Circa 1850

Gilt deck watch with diablotine
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A technically highly interesting hunting cased captain’s pocket watch with diablotine and dual time indication by José Rodríguez Losada in London, England, circa 1850. The numbered case of this watch was crafted from gilded silver, is engine turned on both sides, has a vacant cartouche on the front cover and features a cuvette which is marked Diablotin and 2 Zones d’Heures. The white enamel face features two small dials with radial Roman hours, an outer minute track and moon hands, a further ¼ second diablotine below and outermost center seconds divisions with Arabic quarter hour numerals. The magnificently engraved gilt movement is equipped with a duplex escapement.
The dial is signed.
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Diameter: 52 mm
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Weight: 101 g
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Signed: J.R. Losada London
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Losada
José Rodríguez Losada (1801-1870) was a prominent watch and chronometer maker. He founded his business in London in the 1830s and remained active until he died, after which his nephews continued the business until roughly 1890. Losada was not merely a retailer but a master clockmaker who established a successful business primarily serving the Spanish and South American markets. He often signed his timepieces with J.R. Losada.
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Diablotine
The feature known as a diablotine is a small subsidiary dial on a chronograph or independent center seconds pocket watch, the hand of which moves in a jumping manner at intervals of 1/4 or 1/5th of a second. The term means ‘little devil’. The diablotine is halted when the chronograph or center seconds is stopped and the fractions of a second can be read.