William Unite, London

Circa 1699

Sold

6 ft 3 inches high

A small and very fine walnut longcase timepiece of month duration. CASE The diminutive case has beautiful well-figured walnut veneers. The plinth rests on walnut bun feet with a convex moulding just beneath the slender trunk inset with a trunk door with iron hinges. The forward-sliding hood is flanked by lovely walnut twist columns that open with the original door. DIAL The 8¼ inch square dial is signed William Unite London on the silvered chapter ring which is engraved with Roman and Arabic chapters with Tompionesque sword hilt half hour markers. The matted centre as a silvered seconds ring just beneath chapter XII and a ring-turn decorated calendar aperture and winding hole. Fine quality pierced blued steel hands and winged cherub spandrels to the corners. MOVEMENT The simple high quality movement has four ring-turned baluster pillars, a single train with reverse-wound barrel and anchor escapement. William Unite Listed in Early Clockmakers of Great Britain is one William Unett who was born circa 1678 and apprenticed to one Richard Chilcott until 1699 but there is no record of his being made a Freeman of the Clockmakers’ Company. Clockmakers were not allowed to sign a clock with their own name until they had been made a Freeman so if this is William Unett’s (sp) work then it could have been his apprentice piece. Life in the late 17th century was fairly tenuous to say the least so it is fairly likely that William met his demise in or very soon after he made this timepiece in 1699.