James Stratton
Director
Lot 123*
A good mid 19th century mahogany cased eight day marine chronometer French, Royal Exchange, London, No 0/9716
2 December 2025, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£3,000 - £5,000
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Lewis Walduck
Cataloguer
A good mid 19th century mahogany cased eight day marine chronometer
French, Royal Exchange, London, No 0/9716
The three part case with brass corners, nameplate and escutcheon (number plaque now missing), set with recessed handles to the sides, mounted internally with a brass sliding stay and felt edged lower section. The 4.5 inch silvered Roman dial with minute track enclosing the subsidiary dials for power reserve (marked in days from 0-8), the seconds marked on an intricate track showing half seconds and lozenge-shaped 5s, with blued steel hands. The stepped movement with three-quarter plate framing the large chain fusee and maintaining power to a smaller plate with Earnshaw type detent escapement and freesprung blued steel helical spring with diamond endstone. Signed in full French, Royal Exchange, LONDON, No.0/9716, wound via an integral butterfly type key screwed on to the winding arbor and protruding through the rear of the numbered, weighted bowl suspended in gimbals. Ticking. 18.5cms (7.25ins) wide.
The three part case with brass corners, nameplate and escutcheon (number plaque now missing), set with recessed handles to the sides, mounted internally with a brass sliding stay and felt edged lower section. The 4.5 inch silvered Roman dial with minute track enclosing the subsidiary dials for power reserve (marked in days from 0-8), the seconds marked on an intricate track showing half seconds and lozenge-shaped 5s, with blued steel hands. The stepped movement with three-quarter plate framing the large chain fusee and maintaining power to a smaller plate with Earnshaw type detent escapement and freesprung blued steel helical spring with diamond endstone. Signed in full French, Royal Exchange, LONDON, No.0/9716, wound via an integral butterfly type key screwed on to the winding arbor and protruding through the rear of the numbered, weighted bowl suspended in gimbals. Ticking. 18.5cms (7.25ins) wide.
Footnotes
James Moore French (c.1781–1842), also known as Santiago James Moore French, was an Irish clockmaker, watchmaker, chronometer maker, and retailer. Born in County Antrim, Ireland, he relocated to London as a young man, where he worked with Peter Moore, a relative and fellow horologist. French was made free of the Clockmakers' Company in 1810.
He operated from 15 Sweetings Alley, Royal Exchange between 1808 and 1838, later moving to 18 Cornhill from 1839 until his death in 1842. French's work encompassed high-quality clocks and chronometers, and he became well regarded in London's competitive horological trade.
His career is noted in key horological references, including F.J. Britten's Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers and Brian Loomes' Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World.