JOHN ARNOLD & SON, LONDON | SILVER CONSULAR-CASED POCKET CHRONOMETER WITH ARNOLD SPRING DETENT AND STEEL ESCAPEMENTNO. 146 CIRCA 1796

Dial: white enamel, signed JRA, Roman numerals, outer five minute divisions with Arabic numerals, large subsidiary secondsMovement: gilt full plate fusée, ‘Arnold type’ spring detent escapement, foliate engraved balance cock, Z balance and gold helical balance spring, modified temperature compensation steel escapement, diamond end-stone, signed John Arnold [& Son removed] London, Invt. Et Fec No 146Movement number: 146Case: plain silver polished consular case with later stem and bow, the back with fixed cover with winding aperture, inner and outer cases London hallmarked for 1796, stamped with maker’s mark TH for Thomas HardyDimensions: 55.5mm diameterSigned: dial signed JRA, movement signed John Arnold [& Son removed] Accessories: none

DIAL: hairline crack between 6 and 7 o'clock, hands in good condition. Hands possibly later. Scratch at the centre of the sub-dial CASE: in overall good condition, original and with clear hallmarks MOVEMENT: running at the time of cataloguing Please note that the movement has not been tested for the accuracy of its timekeeping. Please note that Sotheby's does not guarantee the future working of the movement and that a service may be required at the buyer's discretion.
"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."

John Roger Arnold apprenticed to his father John Arnold, the great chronometer maker and inventor, in 1783 at the age of 14. At the age of 18 and before the completion of his apprenticeship, his father took him on as a partner. John Arnold then sent his son to train as a watchmaker in Paris under his esteemed friend and colleague, Abraham-Louis Breguet. John Roger returned from Paris a year later and, in June 1796, was made a Freeman of the Clockmakers’ Company, and became Master of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1817. Together, father and son formed the company Arnold & Son, which upon John Roger Arnold’s death in 1843, was bought by Charles Frodsham. The immediately preceding Arnold pocket chronometer to this one, No.145, has the same  signatures on both the dial and movement. The updating of the temperature compensation accounts for the modified signature on both No. 145 and No.146.

For an illustration of the John Roger Arnold No.145 with the same signature, as well as information on the transfer of the business between father and son, see Hans Staeger, “100 Years Of Precision Timekeepers,” pp. 170, 189 and figs. 1-3. Staeger writes that, ‘according to an existing record written by John Roger Arnold and sent to Breguet in Paris 1796, that his father John Arnold, had transferred the running of the business to his son John Roger Arnold. However, according to existing documents, the transfer took place on the 10^th May 1799.’ During this three-year period between the letter to Breguet and the transfer of the business, dials of marine chronometers and pocket watches have been found with the ‘conjoined’ J.A.R initials.

With thanks to Rory McEvoy and Jonathan Betts for their help with this footnote.