Featured Joseph Johnson fusee watch

I have a Joseph Johnson 18 size pocket watch with fusee movement #10320. It keeps wonderful time, though I rarely use it. I'd like to know if there is a database for the movement number so I could roughly date the watch. Also, there is a lever that stops the movement. What is the purpose of that?

 

Also, what would an appropriate chain look like? Heavy links? Hook or T bar?

 

The movement appears to be about 1840 or so but the case is a puzzle, the hallmarks look as bent as a nine bob note.
The 'stop' lever was to set the watch going at an exact time according to a regulator or a mid day gun.

The big jewels are called 'Liverpool windows' because of their size and were typical of early to mid 19th C, Liverpool movements. It mentions that it has a detached lever because this was a new thing at the time.
There is no database of numbers, this maker probably started at 10,000, no way anyone made 10,000 plus movements at that time.
It would have had a curb link chain and a T bar,

 

stunning watch !!!
rge chain should be simple...imo.....the watch says it all !!!!

 

What is a "detached lever"? Is that the stop lever?

 

By the way, I know the hour and minute hands are not original. They were missing when I got the watch, and the hands on it were put on by a jeweler that cleaned it for me some years ago. Would simple blue steel hands be correct?

 

If I had that lovely thing Id absolutely sport it ! I do think darker hands would make it easier to tell the time,the gold ones seem to fade into the background.

 

He mentioned it in regard to the hallmark on the watch case. What is wrong with the hallmark?

 

How, what doesn't look right? I don't know.

 

I know nothing of hallmarks, but that is one stunning watch!

 

It's a beautiful watch.
If it has indeed been in your family since the civil war, then further research is warranted.

I found this which you may already have seen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Johnson_(watch_maker)

Since both afantiques and bakersgma don't like the marks, I was wondering if Hanau did gold marks.
The only thing I can find is about gold boxes from the 1700s. I did not read the article.
Everything else I'm finding is for silver marks.
http://www.silversocietyofcanada.ca/sites/default/files/Seelig.pdf

Lastly, you may want to search this group for other threads about Joseph Johnson and maybe make inquiries here.
https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/joseph-johnson-pocket-watch.149013/

 

That is the name for the type of escapement, not related to the stop lever. The escapement is a critical part of the watch, a little piece of metal that goes back and forth to keep ticking at as close to a constant rate as possible. Just like computer technology these days, watch technology improved over time as the escapements improved, so a new technology (like a detached lever escapement, an improvement on the plain lever escapement) was worth bragging about.

 

it is a beautiful watch, Frank.

They did. And my immediate thought was also Hanau. But Hanau fake marks are generally seen on gold and silver from the late 1860s onwards. Could even be slightly later, @DragonflyWink may have to correct me on the date. Which could mean that the case is later than the movement. Not all that unusual.

 

The good folks over at the NAWCC forum were also helpful regarding the hallmarks. It seems the movement was made in the mid-19th century or a little before. The movements were shipped to the US uncased, to avoid duties on finished items. Cases were made here, often with hallmarks that somewhat resembled the real thing, and were intended to help sell the watch.

Thank you, everyone, for your help!

 

What did they barbecue?