Center Seconds” Brockbank

“Center Seconds” Brockbank, London, No. 1812. Made circa 1780. Fine and rare, 18K gold pocket watch with cylinder escapement, center seconds and stop feature. Two-body, “bassine”, polished, back with gold shutter for the winding aperture. Gilt dust cap with bayonette fixing to the movement. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minutes/seconds divisions with five-minutes/seconds Arabic numerals. Gold "beetle and poker" hands. Notes Brockbank John and Myles Brockbank, brothers who traded at 6 Cowper's Court, were pioneers in chronometer making. Myles was admitted to the Clockmaker's Company in 1776 and John in 1779. Earnshaw claimed that he showed them his version of the spring detent escapement and that they passed on the information to Arnold. One of their workmen, Peto, invented the cross-detent escapement, combining the theoretical advantages of Arnold's and Earnshaw's escapements; several examples by the Brockbanks survive, coupled with an overbanking device which limits the expansion of the helical spring. After Myles’ death in 1821, the brothers were succeeded nephews, also named John and Myles, who traded as John Brockbanks & Company. From 1815 to 1835 the firm was called "Brockbank & Atkins', still at 6 Cowper's Court. The present watch was previously sold by Antiquorum, The Private Collection of Theodor Beyer, November 16, 2003, Lot 36.