James Evans, London

Circa 1790

£9,500

10-¾ inches (27.5cm.) high

A charming miniature ebonised table clock with alarm. CASE The brass-mounted break arch case rests on brass bracket feel, the sides and back door are glazed and there is a curved brass-mounted panel to the top with a foliate-cast carrying handle. DIAL The 4 inch silvered brass dial is signed James Evans London within the Roman and Arabic chapter ring with the original fretted blued steel hands; the arch is further engraved with an alarm ring with an arrow-head setting hand. MOVEMENT The movement has a spring barrel and fusee with gut lines, four wheel train with pivoted verge escapement with the original spring-suspended pendulum; the alarm system has a pull-wound foliate engraved spring barrel mounted at the top left of the back plate and when activated the alarm sounds on a bell above the movement plates.. The backplate is beautifully engraved with scrolling foliage and flower heads, there is a quick-release pendulum holdfast to the side of the backplate and two original foliate engraved brass movement securing brackets. James Evans 1773-1805 worked in Sweetings Alley and later The Royal Exchange. He is best known for his partnership with John Higgs and together they made many excellent clocks for the Spanish market famously signed Higgs Y Diego Evans or Diego Higgs Bolsa Real Londres. In 1799 his son joined him and the clocks were signed Evans & Son.