A FINE GEORGE III MAHOGANY DROP-DIAL FUSEE WALL TIMEPIECE OF...

Estimate

£8,000 - £12,000

A FINE GEORGE III MAHOGANY DROP-DIAL FUSEE WALL TIMEPIECE OF MUDGE AND DUTTON 'PHASE II' DESIGNWILLIAM DUTTON AND SONS, LONDON, No. 227 CIRCA 1794The four knopped pillar single fusee movement with thick plates measuring 6.25 by 5 inches secured via large screws through the bottom pillars onto a seatboard forming part of the internal structure of the case, the train terminating with anchor escapement regulated by steel-rod lenticular bob pendulum with an effective length of approximately 15 inches, incorporating T-bar suspension, calibrated rating nut and stamped with serial number 227 to the rear of the bob, the 14 inch circular silvered brass Roman numeral dial signed Will'm Dutton & Sons, London to centre and with Arabic five minutes beyond the outer minute track, with pierced blued steel spade hands set behind generous hinged glazed cavetto moulded cast brass bezel applied to the circular cushion-moulded wooden surround, secured to the front of the substantially constructed drop-trunk box case with doors to each side behind the dial, over flame-figured panel within astragal moulded surround flanked by ogee-shaped ears, the base with angled cavetto over ogee moulded hinged flap to front.66cm (26ins) high, 44.5cm (17.5ins) wide, 16cm (6.25ins) deep.William Dutton is recorded in Baillie, G.H. Watchmakers & Clockmakers of the World as apprenticed to George Graham in 1738 and gained his freedom of the Clockmakers' Company in 1746. In around 1750 he went into partnership with Thomas Mudge, another former apprentice and successor to George Graham, and worked from 148 Fleet Street, London, where the business was to remain through successive generations of the Dutton family. William Dutton was elevated to Liveryman in 1766 and alongside Mudge developed the lever escapement for watches in 1771; shortly after which Thomas Mudge retired to Plymouth in order to spend more time to pursue his development of a marine timekeeper. In around 1775 Dutton took both his sons (Thomas and Matthew) into the business forming a second partnership of William Dutton and Sons however the name Mudge and Dutton was often still used (mainly for watches) up to around 1790. William Dutton died in 1794 leaving the business to be continued very much in his tradition by his sons Thomas and Matthew.David Penney in Tobias Birch's 2019 exhibition catalogue THOMAS MUDGE AND WILLIAM DUTTON, A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP notes that the Mudge and Dutton dial clocks of 'Phase II' design were made between around 1780-1810 although relatively few surviving examples are known. From the serial number stamped on the pendulum of the present timepiece it can be dated to around 1794 hence would have been one of the last timepieces produced by the William Dutton and Sons before the death of William senior in November of that year.