Very rare English lever watch in later silver case Circa 1798

Very rare lever watch in a later silver case
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A very rare English open faced lever watch in a later silver case, circa 1798, gilded full plate movement, straight line lever escapement, the lever with loop encircling the balance staff, double ‘S’ balance, decoratively pierced and engraved balance bridge, diamond endstone, movement signed Richd. Pendleton, Pentonville, London.
White regulator type dial, hour dial above with Arabic numerals, subsidiary seconds below, outer Arabic minute ring, blued steel hands.
Later polished silver case with double hinged case back, the inner cover with winding aperture and opening to reveal the movement.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Signed: Richd. Pendleton Pentonville London

It is widely believed that Richard Pendleton made, or was at least heavily involved in the construction of watches with lever escapements signed by Josiah Emery. Indeed, at the end of the 18th century, Thomas Mudge Junior wrote that Emery’s series of lever watches were made by Pendleton. The present lot, Pendleton, is one of three known watches with lever escapements signed by Pendleton. The others are numbered
172 (now in the British Museum) and 175 (for which see detailed escapement illustration in The Camerer Cuss Book of Antique Watches). Paul Chamberlain in “It’s About Time” writes how he studied Emery nos. 1289, 1057 and 1379 and also Pendleton nos. 172 and 180 and concluded, “that they were all executed by the same artist”. In the movement of the present lot (Pendleton no. 180), the bridge cock and double ‘S’ balance are much the same as those signed by Emery, but the a the escapement design is different. The escape wheel and straight-line lever are lighter than in Emery’s watches; so as to reduce friction,
the impulse piece is set in a loop so that the action of impulse takes place on the far side of the balance staff to the lever and the escape wheel teeth are forked to hold oil.

Pendleton no. 175 is the only watch to retain its original case and is hallmarked for 1797. Josiah Emery died in 1794 and interestingly the dial of Pendleton no. 175 has had Emery’s name erased from the dial, although it is still just discernible. The current lot, being close in number to no. 175 may date as early as 1798, yet it is possible that Pendleton completed the watch over time – the style of dial, which is very different from Emery’s, with radial Arabic chapters and a pierced spade hour hand, suggests a period of production between the late 1790’s and perhaps 1810.