Fine Quality London Cylinder In Heavy Silver Hunter Case

A large and very fine quality London cylinder watch, in a heavy silver full hunter case.

MOVEMENT : A fine quality cylinder escapement fusee movement, with a beautifully pierced and engraved balance cock featuring a mask to the neck and a ruby endstone.
Clean blued screws and Bosley regulator.

Signed French, Royal Exchange, LONDON and numbered 879.

The movement is protected by a removable gilt dustcap, which is signed and numbered as the top plate.

All in good original condition, and running well.

DIAL : Signed white enamel.
Good condition with just two short and light hairlines between 1 and 2, and a few very small nibbles around the edge. Gold hands.

CASE : A large and heavy silver full hunter case with hallmarks for London, 1813, maker WJ.
Engine turned engraving to back and front, and milled bands to the edges.
The front cover can be opened when the button on the stem is pressed

Good condition with just a little even wear to the engine turning.
The hinges are ok and both bezel and cover snap shut correctly.

James Moore French was born around 1781 in County Antrim, Ireland. He moved from Ireland to London as a young man, working at 15 Sweeting’s Alley, Royal Exchange in the City of London. In 1810 French was admitted to the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.
In the 1820s he diversified into marine chronometer, winning various prizes from the Board of Longitude. His chronometer No 4214 was used on one of Darwins voyages on the Beagle. French lived and worked in various locations in and around London up until his death in January 1842.
The case maker is probably William Jackson, of Clerkenwell, London.