P. & A. Guye for John Walker, 68 Cornhill, London, No. 14276, ca. 1880s.
A rare high grade London manufactured P. & A. Guye hunter pocket watch
Manufactured for John Walker, London, ca. 1880.
P. &. A. Guye, 13 Northampton Square, London. Manufacturers of some of London’s highest grade watches. Formed around 1858 by two Swiss brothers that emigrated to London. The Guye brothers published articles on isochronism and varied escapements they developed, like the current example. They later became famous for being the first to machine manufacture watches in London for J.W. Benson.
John Walker, 68 Cornhill, 230 Regent Street, 76 Strand, London. Prestigious retailer of some of the England’s finest chronometers and pocket watches.
Movement Highlights:
Movement: Hand made die-cast 3/4 plate, hand gilded and hand-engraved. Lovely contrast of hand-blued steel screws with black-polished steel screws and springs. Setting and winding steel works satin finished. Bright brass screw set ruby jewels. Serial number on mainplate 8332 indicates the movement was manufactured in the 1870s, and retailed in the 1880s with serial number 14276.
Balance cock: Hand-engraved balance cock with floral pattern.
Escapement: A very rare chronometer-like detached escapement. Heavy and large slotted roller fitted with a horizontal ruby jewel. Upside-down lever escapement with balancing of escape fork via the positioning of a recessed hole. Distinct bi-metallic compensation balance wheel with sharp-figured terminal steel ends. Solid gold escape wheel with steel pinion.
Keyless winding: Two-part stem wound system. Guye-developed slotted two-part stem winding system that removes considerable lateral torque on the crown wheel. The system is a fusion of English and Swiss keyless works. A male stem is set into the movement, with a traditional castle wheel engaging the winding and setting gears.
Train: Solid brass gilded train with thick hand finished steel pinions. Safety work on mainspring barrel.
Jewels: 17 Jewels – balance work (5), escape lever (2), escapement bridge (8), fourth wheel (2).
Coggiola Watch Roma Wristwatch Case, Buckle & Restoration Work:
The solid brass case reacts to the owner’s lifestyle, weather and temperature. Natural deep patina starts forming on the surface from the moment the case is manufactured.
Hand manufactured case and parts in Rome, Italy:
Case: Solid brass, 2 part bezel and lugs. Crown, stem, case crown sleeve, time setting pusher, four stainless steel screws.
Dial & Hands: Aluminum dial, hand turned steel rod hands.
Buckle: Four part brass buckle, three stainless steel screws.
Case dimensions:
Diameter, without crown: 44mm
Lug to lug: 51.5mm
Height, including crystal: 15mm
Strap: 22mm width. Length: Normal. ColaReb Roma, Italy. Hand-made leather strap made in Rome.
Crystals: Mineral crystals. Domed front, flat back.
Restoration Work: Watch had a series of faults due to poor maintenance and strength of mainspring. The top and bottom mainspring barrel arbors were worn. These were tightened. Due to the same problem, the center wheel top pivot was out of center, this was corrected. In addition the watch suffers from a poor canon pinion extraction, which damaged it. It was not replaced but tightened and the watch functions properly.
Particularities when handling this watch: The setting of the watch should be done with care. At times there is resistance when setting the watch. When this happens, one should gently move the hands in the other direction. Do not force hands. It keeps excellent time to within the minute. Should be wound two times a day, in the morning and in the evening, with no more than 15 half turns of the crown.
Case care instructions: To clean the case use cotton swab in white (distilled) vinegar to moisten the case. Then gently use a cloth to restore shine to the brass. Do not use abrasives to clean the case. The watch is not water proof.