left: Brass repeating watch by Mudge E Dutton, made for Thomas Raikes (later Governor of the Bank of England, and for many years in his family); London, England, 1783; dia. 1⅜” (3.49 cm.).
right: The rear of the case, bearing the owner’s initials; dia. 1⅞” (4.76 cm.).
The repeating watch was designed to denote time in the dark by striking on bells or gongs when a slide was pushed or the pendant pressed in. This particular watch repeats the time to the nearest ‘half quarter’ i.e. 7½ minutes.
The foot of the balance cock is solid, the only pierced work appears in the table of the cock itself. It has the old form of disc regulator, operated by a key placed on the square in its centre. Despite extra mechanism for repetition, the type is seldom larger than ordinary watches.
It has a ‘pair’ or double case, but the front of the outer case is open and the glass in a bezel fitted to the inner case. Usually a paper was put in the outer case after a watch had been repaired and often several are found, mainly as advertisements for the repairer although some are in needlework (spoiling the title of ‘paper’) and were probably presents from the sweetheart or wife of the owner. These ‘papers’ also provided a soft bed for the watch.
