POCKET WATCH COLLECTION
Saturday, 8 - Monday, 17 April 2023

A desirable 'English Tourbillon' (karrusel) complication movement pocket watch, in silver open face case,

Lot Details

57mm case hallmarked London 1928 by Fred Thoms, case maker, Clerkenwell, London and numbered 123621. English lever escapement, gilded 3/4 plate marked 'Patent BB No. 21421' for Bahne Bonniksen's UK patent of 1892 - ‘In the karrusel by Bonniksen (UK patent 21421 of 1892) the carriage is mounted on a karrusel wheel driven by the third wheel pinion. The fourth wheel staff passes through the centre of the karrusel bearing to allow the fourth wheel pinion to mesh with the third wheel and power is transmitted to the escapement in the normal way rather than through the carriage rotation as in the tourbillon. The rate of rotation of the karrusel is about once per hour compared with the tourbillon which may rotate once per minute. Both these designs require considerable skill to manufacture, and are only found in watches of high quality.’ (M. Cutmore - Watches 1850-1980 (1989) p. 72) Bonniksen was born in Denmark in 1859, he came to London at the age of 24 and became a naturalised Englishman in 1910. He died in 1935 in Leamington. His first karussel movements appeared at the Kew Observatory in 1895 and by 1898 they were to prove superior to all others on trial. For a general description of the various watches made by Bonniksen karussel escapements see B. Bonniksen, 'The Karussel Watch By Its Inventor', published 1905. White enamel dial, marked ‘English Tourbillon’, Roman numerals, rail track minutes, sunk subs seconds dial at VI, blued steel hands. Keyless wind and setting.