Review of English pocket movement with fusee and verge escapement

Andrew Babanin

I found one quite old watch. It's a pocket watch in silver case of well known English watchmaker Markwick Markham. There're two things which interested me in this watch: the oldest type of escapement and a dial. It's a well known fact that Markwick Markham worked for Turkish market.

Fig 1. A watch for Turkish market

The digits are very interesting. "0" means 5 - notice mark 55 - cool? Unfortunately, hands are just a replacement - it's a Louis XIV style. It's one of the latest Markwick's works - There's "IC" - at the bottom of the case, so for now I'm in questions if it means 1804 or 1798 year of production. Anyway it's at least 200 years old!

Fig 2. Keyhole with secret

The caseback has a special device - there's a lever which opens and closes a small key hole. Nearby the hinge you can find a special small pin. If you move it aside - you can open or close the hole.

Fig 3. Hand setting position

Like many watches of that time this one has a special bezel. After opening it you can set time - notice the square on the top of the cannon pinion. At the bottom of the dial there's a small pusher to show you a movement. Let's push it and...

Fig 4. Fusee and contrate wheel

...we can see the movement. It's a nice verge with fusee. On this pic you can notice fusee wheel with chain on it and the contrate wheel - it interacts with the crown or escape wheel.

Pic 5. This wheel is made to interact with the horizontally placed crown wheel

On this fig we can take a closer look to contrate wheel. The steel plate works as a cap jewel of crown wheel. BTW I was amazed but almost all verge movements do not have JEWELS! This one also do not have jewels. To make other pics I had to decouple the case and the movement.

Fig 6. Hand pierced balance cock and unique moon-shaped silver regulator

Here it is. A nice movement of the famous watchmaker. Notice a balance cock - it's hand pierced. A plate in keyhole shape (coqueret) - works as a balance endstone. The white moon shaped disk is a regulator. I have to mention that this watch has quite an interesting regulating system. It also has two pins for hairspring. These pins are placed on the special arc with teeth. This ark moves in the special slot and interacts with the ratchet wheel, hidden under this white lunation. You can notice a square of that wheel. By rotating it you change the rate. There was an arrow on this disk - but it had missed. Also pay attention to the signs on the disk - the same digits like on the dial: from 1 to 5.

Fig 7. 3D adjustment

This movement has 3D verge regulation. It means that you can move a bit the end of balance with flags in 3 dimensions! Notice a screw with the special fillet. By unscrewing it we can move a special bar. This bar is coupled with balance bearing. Aside there's another screw (unfortunately, vanished in darkness)- and another dimension. The last screw allows bearing move in axial direction.

Here I put some more pictures of this interesting watch.

Fig 8. Under the dial. Notice figures 8585

Fig 9. Dismounted dial. The same figures - 8585. There are the same figures at the caseback

Fig 10. Dismounted balance bridge

Fig 11. Crown or escape wheel

Fig 12. Verge balance wheel

Notice that the bridge and the dial are fixed with collers. Also have to mention that balance wheel is plain and has special stem on the rim. I guess it has the same purpose like in cylinder escapement. This watch came to me in a poor condition - some collers were missed and it was a sort of spare parts. Also there was a problem with fusee chain. Had to fix it. I had to clean wheel pinions from the oldest scurf. For now the watch theoretically works - it gains about 20 - 30 minutes per day but for now I do not intend to make it more accurate. Many collectors also consider that it's enough to be aware that it works. Of course nobody will use this watch as a timekeeper.