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744
BARWISE, LONDON, NO. 628 AN UNUSUALLY SMALL WALL REGULATOR, SOME 28½" LONG, OF VERY FINE QUALITY BY THESE EMINENT MAKERS. CIRCA 1830.

The fine and well proportioned arched topped case has a full length opening front door and then progresses into a bulbously curved base via a strong fluted moulding. The bottom of the base has a delicately decorated foliate block. The whole case has finely chosen flame veneers which are matched and run right through the case. The door, as with many fine quality regulators, is dust sealed with felt.

The 8" silvered dial is signed for the maker "Barwise, London, No. 628". It has a typical regulator style layout with a seconds dial at the top, an hour dial below with the main dial being the minute dial. The very fine hands are of blued steel, the hour hand being of crucifix form.

The fine quality single train fusee movement is most interesting. It has inverted dead beat escapement mounted at the top of the movement which drives the seconds hand via a two to one gearing so that although utilising a half seconds beating pendulum it shows true seconds on the dial. The plates are very substantial and the wheelwork is well crossed out. The clock has maintaining power and a small mercury jar pendulum suspended via a regulator block suspension from the backboard of the clock. The pendulum beats against a silvered beat plaque in the bottom of the clock.

This is a rare technically interesting and beautifully executed small regulator.

Length: 28.5" (72.4 cms.)

Price band: D

John Barwise was born is 1756 and died in 1842 although the business continued for many years thereafter up until almost the turn of the century. They traded from St Martin's Lane, then from Piccadilly and then from Cornhill and finely from St James's Street. They were noted as clockmakers but also as chronometer makers and produced fine quality timepieces.