Viner, London

• Movement: gilded full plate, duplex escapement, decoratively engraved balance cock marked Patent and numbered 317, diamond endstone, alarm and going trains with ratchet and click set-up, two-arm bi-metallic compensation balance with screwed weights, two winding squares for going and alarm trains, repeating on a gong, fusee and chain, signed Viner, New Bond Street, London
• Dial: gold, chapter ring with polished Roman numerals against a stippled ground, pearled outer minute ring, inner ring for alarm indication, the centre with decoratively engine-turned ground, gold spade hands, engine-turned subsidiary seconds with pearled seconds ring and blued steel hand
• Case: gold case, the back with traces of engine turning, ribbed bezels and band, alarm-set button at 6 o’clock, plunge pendant, the back opening to reveal hinged cuvette with decorative engine-turned border and centre, apertures for going and alarm with engraved arrows indicating direction of wind, cuvette signed Viner, New Bond Street with engraved crown beneath, hallmarked 1814, numbered 317 and with case maker's mark LC incuse with a scroll or fish above for Louis Comtesse

With a curb-link chain and key 

Terence Camerer Cuss, The English Watch 1585-1970, 2009, pp. 352-353, pl. 226

Movement not running at time of cataloguing, the repeating is sluggish but operational. Alarm train is operational however the sound of the gongs are somewhat smothered by the noise of the train releasing its power. Unable to adjust the alarm indicator at time of cataloguing. The dial with lights scuffs across the surface, the subsidiary seconds has traces of black paint where originally it was marked with Arabic numerals for each 10 second interval and with a dot between for the intervening 5 second markers. The case back with only small traces of engine turning remaining. Some loss of definition to the ribbing of the bezels. The decoration to the cuvette in good crisp condition. Decoration to cuvette in nice crisp condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

Charles Viner was apprenticed to Thomas Savage in 1802. Although he did not become Free of the Clockmakers’ Company until 1813, it would appear that, by this time, he had already set up his own business. Combining the features of alarm, repetition and duplex escapement, the present watch illustrates the high quality and often complex nature of Viner’s production. The screw-type bi-metallic balance has echoes of Pennington’s last form, and the alarm and repetition is to a gong; a relatively early example of this type.