English silver half quarter repeating pocket watch Circa 1768

Silver gentleman’s repeating watch by John Ellicot
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An English gentleman’s half quarter repeating pocket watch, circa 1768.
The case is silver gilt pierced, and has engraved volutes and scrollwork, two cartouches with engraved mascaron and a landscape, case maker’s punch mark TL with a star above (possibly Thomas Layton of London), rear bell, a signed and numbered movement protection cap, pusher for repetition via pendant, and large lateral hinge. The dial is enamel with radial Roman hours and gold arrow-shaped hands. And the firegilt, signed full plate movement has applied engraved and florally pierced decorations, chain/fusee, two hammers, solid circular movement pillars, steel cylinder wheel, three-arm polished steel balance, fine florally engraved, pierced balance cock, and chatoned diamond endstone on balance.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Weight: 130 g
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Signed: John Ellicot, London
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John Ellicott (1706-1772)
Besides Graham, Harrison, Tompion, Mudge, Arnold und Earnshaw, John Ellicott was one of the most eminent English watches- and clockmakers established himself in business about 1728 and became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1738. Ellicot was the inventor of a compensation pendulum and paid great attention to the use of the cylinder escapement only a few years after its improvement by Graham. In some of his later pieces, the cylinders were made of ruby.