31692

Derek Roberts Antiques.
FINE ANTIQUE CLOCKS.
Established 1968.
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31692C.R
M. F. DENT, 33 COCKSPUR STREET, LONDON. CHRONOMETER MAKER TO THE QUEEN, NO. 26727. AN EXCEPTIONAL EIGHT DAY CHRONOMETER IN A COROMANDEL BRASS BOUND BOX. CIRCA 1875.

The large three tier box is made from the finest selected coromandel and has a brass moulding to all of its edges. It has a double line of brass stringing around the top lid and front. The side carrying handles are flush and there is an unsigned brass shield plaque to the centre of the top lid. It has brass sunburst escutcheons inlaid around the top lid push button and the main lock. The front bone oblong plaque is signed ‘M. F. Dent, 33, Cockspur Street, London, 26727’.

The inside of the lid retains its original crushed velvet which is now very faded. The brass gimbals, bowl, ratchet winding key and fittings still have their original golden lacquer.

The engraved and silvered brass dial is 4¾" in diameter and is conventionally laid out with black Roman numerals and a large seconds ring. It is signed ‘DENT, 33, Cockspur St. Chronometer maker to the Queen, London. 26727’. Just below XII is a state of wind dial engraved ‘Up-0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-Wind-8-Down’. Either side of this is an engraved crown with a ribbon below signed ‘To HIM the Emperor of Russia’ and ‘To Her Majesty’. It has beautifully shaped spade and pointer gold hands and an incredibly fine blued steel counter balanced second hand.

The eight day movement has chain reverse fusee and maintaining power. The plates and dial plate are nicely spotted and the screws are blued. It has a plain two armed bi-metallic compensated balance with helical blued steel spring, diamond end stone and spring detent.

Box Dimensions: 8" x 8" x 8¾" (20 x 20 x 22 cm.)

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Eight day chronometers are fairly rare and generally of the highest quality and commissioned by wealthy owners for their large personal yachts. The quality and layout of this particular example is very similar to one we recently sold by the eminent maker Victor Kullberg. Kullberg is known to have made chronometers for Dent.

Edward John Dent was born in 1790 and was apprenticed to his grandfather. By 1814 he was becoming well known and was employed between 1815-1829 by a number of well known firms including Vulliamy, Barraud and McCabe. He went into partnership with John Roger Arnold in 1830 and was admitted to the Clockmakers’ Company and given the Freedom of the City of London in 1831. By 1840 he was in business by himself.

Dent gained the contract in 1844 to supply the Great Clock in Westminster which finally put the seal on Dent’s fame and fortune. The Westminster Clock became popularly known as Big Ben, although strictly the name only applies to the large hour bell.

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Edward died in 1853 and Richard Dent succeeded him. Only three years later in 1856 Richard died leaving his widow Marianna Frederica to continue the business. She worked from 33 Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, London and employed John Smith, an able watchmaker, and with his guidance the firm continued to maintain the high standards set by E. J. Dent. In 1862 M. F. Dent received The Royal Warrant. In the same year she obtained the lease of the adjacent house, no. 34 Cockspur Street. These two shops occupied a splendid corner position and a drawing of these premises, along with its time ball on top of the building, is illustrated in plate 112 of Vaudrey Mercer’s fine book. She was Highly Commended at the Exhibition of Scientific Apparatus in 1876 for a chronometer with a glass balance spring.

In 1890 H.M. Stanley took one of her chronometers on his Expedition to the Congo. Stanley wrote to M. F. Dent to say that ‘the chronometers supplied by you, and which were taken across Africa in my last expedition, proved a very great service to me and were in every way thoroughly satisfactory and reliable’. Marianna died in 1867 aged 41and left seven children. The name M. F. Dent was retained and continued until it merged with E. Dent & Co Ltd in 1920.