Exceptionally English watch by Francis Perigal Circa 1790

Silver pocket watch with temperature indication
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An  English exceptionally rare watch with temperature indication and possibly the only surviving lever watch by Francis Perigal now in later silver case, circa 1790, gilded full plate movement, lever escapement, plain balance with four arms and eight poising and timing screws, straight bimetallic strip for regulating the spiral spring, its foot fitted to a rack served by square in the centre of the regulation index, decoratively engraved mask with amusing crooked mask to the neck, fusee and chain, gilt metal dust cap numbered and engraved Fras. Perigal Watchmaker to his Majesty, London, movement signed Fras. Perigal, Bond Street, London
White enamel dial, Roman numerals, Arabic outer minute ring, subsidiary dial for temperature above with indication controlled by a bimetallic spiral, subsidiary seconds below, gold heart-shaped hands.
Later associated silver case with London hallmarks for 1867 and maker’s mark PW incuse for Philip Woodman
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Signed: Fras. Perigal Bond Street London
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Between 1785 and 1805 a small number of experimental lever watches were made by several different London based watchmakers, these included, amongst others, Grant,
Pendleton/Emery, Ellicott and Margetts, Taylor and Leroux. The present lever watch is an especially rare example, being the only surviving one known by Perigal.

Perigal was made Watchmaker to the King in 1784 and so it is highly likely that he had access to Mudge’s lever watch. Indeed, in their book Watches, Clutton and Daniels note that Perigal’s watch “shows how much he was influenced by the Mudge watch. The movement’s ebauche is similar to that used by Emery for his small size watches. It is known that Richard Pendleton made or was at the very least heavily involved in the construction of watches for Emery and it is quite likely that Richard Pendleton was employed to make the escapement of Perigal’s lever watch. However, there are a number of differences to Emery’s, including the balance, bimetallic regulation strip and Perigal’s use of a conventional cock. It is also significant to note that the lever is set at right angles, in the manner of Thomas Mudge’s, although the fork is mounted on top of one of the lever arms.

The rare and exceptionally early subsidiary dial, which indicates temperature, is dependent on a bimetallic spiral which is similar to that first used by Larcum Kendall as a compensation device and purchased by Vulliamy when Kendall’s workshop was sold by auction in 1790. A watch by Emery, number 939, with identical dial and gold heart-shaped hands, is illustrated and described by Jonathan Betts in Antiquarian Horology, Winter 1996.

Francis Perigal, son of Francis Perigal (active 1741-1770) was apprenticed to his father in 1748. He worked in the family business on 9 Threadneedle Street, Royal Exchange, from about 1770 to the time of his death in 1794. He was admitted as honorary Freeman of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1781, and made Watchmaker to the King in 1784. Little is known of Perigal, but the few surviving watches bearing his name are of
considerable mechanical interest and fine quality.