WREGG, London. No 1695 / 4
Rare complete example of a Mail Guard’s watch by this important maker, circa 1825.
£2,495.00
Brass-bound mahogany box with original red painted sight-ring and lockable brass rear cover engraved with name, serial number and duration, approx 3 1/2 inches (9 cm) square and 1 1/4 inches (3.25 cm) deep. The 2-day (52 hours) movement housed in a brass canister case with bayonet fixed bezel and screw held rear cover. Fullplate fusee movement nicely signed with engraved and gilded balance cock. Deadbeat verge of Wregg’s pattern with brass escape and steel pallets. Steel balance, spiral balance-spring. Signed cream enamel dial with bold hour numerals and original matching blued-steel hands. Brass canister case 7 cm diameter.
[William?] Wregg, noted in an 1832 Directory as a ‘watch finisher’ working from 17 Shaftesbury Place, Aldersgate Street, East London. Little is known about him other than he seems to have been a main supplier of Mail Guards’ watches, the earlier examples being fitted with his deadbeat verge escapement. Few complete examples of his Mail Coach watches are recorded, some of which have had their escapements converted to detached lever. Wregg himself used lever escapements in his later production – one lever example by Wregg making over £7000 at auction in 2018.
See also my new Profile on these watches which includes details of this and another example, No 1673. Wregg’s watches are known to have been used on the London coaches DEFIANCE and the Cheltenham MAGNET, plus Wregg may well have been one of the main suppliers of these watches to the ‘Coach Master’ William Chaplin – see my Profile.
The deadbeat verge escapement was invented, or at least originally named after Painel de Flamanville, a French diplomat at the London Court of George I. Designed as an alternative to the then new deadbeat ‘cylinder’ escapement of George Graham, it did not need a new ‘horizontal’ frame and could be fitted to the existing ‘vertical’ frames. Surviving early examples are however very rare (only around five are known) and even the later ones, as used by Wregg, are rarely seen, making this one of the most difficult escapements to find.
NB: The image I show of the escape wheel and staff is from an almost identical Wregg Mail Guard’s watch No 1673 and my line drawing shows how the pallet faces are much less than 90 degrees, allowing the escape tooth to fall on to the solid back of the cylindrical pallet.
The mahogany case with a shrinkage crack (it is still quite secure) and the dial with the usual hair cracks, which are present in just about all of these hard working watches. The brass escutcheon also lacking from the lock on the outer box. Otherwise complete and now fully serviced and accompanied by my usual guarantee, plus a copy of my Profile on these rare watches if wanted. Photographed prior to cleaning please note.
Item reserved
Description
Brass-bound mahogany box with original red painted sight-ring and lockable brass rear cover engraved with name, serial number and duration, approx 3 1/2 inches (9 cm) square and 1 1/4 inches (3.25 cm) deep. The 2-day (52 hours) movement housed in a brass canister case with bayonet fixed bezel and screw held rear cover. Fullplate fusee movement nicely signed with engraved and gilded balance cock. Deadbeat verge of Wregg’s pattern with brass escape and steel pallets. Steel balance, spiral balance-spring. Signed cream enamel dial with bold hour numerals and original matching blued-steel hands. Brass canister case 7 cm diameter.
[William?] Wregg, noted in an 1832 Directory as a ‘watch finisher’ working from 17 Shaftesbury Place, Aldersgate Street, East London. Little is known about him other than he seems to have been a main supplier of Mail Guards’ watches, the earlier examples being fitted with his deadbeat verge escapement. Few complete examples of his Mail Coach watches are recorded, some of which have had their escapements converted to detached lever. Wregg himself used lever escapements in his later production – one lever example by Wregg making over £7000 at auction in 2018.
See also my new Profile on these watches which includes details of this and another example, No 1673. Wregg’s watches are known to have been used on the London coaches DEFIANCE and the Cheltenham MAGNET, plus Wregg may well have been one of the main suppliers of these watches to the ‘Coach Master’ William Chaplin – see my Profile.
The deadbeat verge escapement was invented, or at least originally named after Painel de Flamanville, a French diplomat at the London Court of George I. Designed as an alternative to the then new deadbeat ‘cylinder’ escapement of George Graham, it did not need a new ‘horizontal’ frame and could be fitted to the existing ‘vertical’ frames. Surviving early examples are however very rare (only around five are known) and even the later ones, as used by Wregg, are rarely seen, making this one of the most difficult escapements to find.
NB: The image I show of the escape wheel and staff is from an almost identical Wregg Mail Guard’s watch No 1673 and my line drawing shows how the pallet faces are much less than 90 degrees, allowing the escape tooth to fall on to the solid back of the cylindrical pallet.
The mahogany case with a shrinkage crack (it is still quite secure) and the dial with the usual hair cracks, which are present in just about all of these hard working watches. The brass escutcheon also lacking from the lock on the outer box. Otherwise complete and now fully serviced and accompanied by my usual guarantee, plus a copy of my Profile on these rare watches if wanted. Photographed prior to cleaning please note.
