Here is a lovely Solid silver Fusee Pocket watch made my E J Dent of 61 Strand and 34 Royal Exchange London.
The watch maker is a very prolific one and is famous for his work on many large time pieces all over the UK.
This has a registration number of 38490.
The movement is also engraved with the watch makers name Dent and again the registration number.
The inside dust cover has been engraved October 1877.
The hallmarks are for the London assay office with the date letter A for 1876-1877.
However i am pretty sure the movements date to before this as the name E.J Dent was only used until 1853 which also corresponds to the dates of the premises mentioned.
All hands are present with a second sweeping hand and watch key. Unfortunately the watch is not working so will need looking at
.
I think the fusee chain is there but as the watch is quite slim it is hard to see.
Final selling price £95.00
This sold far below its actual value, if you have a similar piece don't accept less than £250 as i have seen some go for £400-£500
About E.J. Dent
Edward John Dent was watchmaker renowned in his time for creating highly accurate time pieces. He was born 1790 and died in 1853.
Dents own business originated in 82 the strand but later moved to 61.
His was commissioned to create large time pieces for the UK the most prolific being Big Ben, however he died before its completion by his son Frederick Rippon Dent.
Dating Edward John Dent's watches
Here is a few little facts to help date his work, this is done through firstly the silver marks will give some indication as well as inscriptions, however the cases are often made elsewhere and thus it may not give an accurate date.
The best way is by the company names and premises. Below i have provided some info to help date a Dent time piece.
Company names (the differences are often when passed down through the family taking the initials of the individual who inherited the company)
Company owners
1826-30 -E.J. Dent
1830-40 -Arnold & Dent
1840-53 -Edward J. Dent
1853-61 -Frederick Dent
1853 – 1920 -Richard Edward Dent, and M.F. Dent (became E. Dent & Co Ltd in 1920)
1861-64 -Dent & Co
1864-97 -E. Dent & Co
1897- today -E. Dent & Co. Ltd
Chronology of Business Premises
1826 -E.J.Dent, 43 King Street, Long Acre
1830 -Arnold & Dent, 84 Strand
1840 -Edward J. Dent, 82 Strand
1843 -Edward J. Dent, 82 Strand & 33 Cockspur Street
1847 -Edward J. Dent, 82 Strand & 33 Cockspur Street & 34 Royal Exchange
1851 -Edward J. Dent, 61 Strand & 33 Cockspur Street & 34 Royal Exchange
1853 -Frederick Dent, 61 Strand & 34 Royal Exchange
1853 -Richard Edward Dent, 33 Cockspur Street
1856 -Frederick Dent, 61 Strand, 34 & 35 Royal Exchange
1857 -M. F. Dent, 33 Cockspur Street
1861 -Dent & Co, 61 Strand, 34 & 35 Royal Exchange
1861 -M. F. Dent, 33 & 34 Cockspur Street
1864 -E. Dent & Co, 61 Strand, 34 & 35 Royal Exchange
1886 -E. Dent & Co, 61 Strand, & 4 Royal Exchange
1897 -E. Dent & Co Ltd, 61 Strand, & 4 Royal Exchange
1904 -M. F. Dent, 34 Cockspur Street
1920 -E. Dent & Co Ltd 61 Strand, 4 Royal Exchange & 34 Cockspur Street
1921 -E. Dent & Co Ltd, 61 Strand, 4 Royal Exchange & 28 Cockspur Street
1936 -E. Dent & Co Ltd, 41 Pall Mall & 4 Royal Exchange
1941 - 1977 -E. Dent & Co Ltd, 41 Pall Mall
