Beschreibung:

Thomas Mercer, St Albans, a mahogany cased two-day chronometer, the chain-fusee movement having maintaining power, an Earnshaw-type detent escapement with the cut bimetallic compensated balance having round shaped weights, the four-inch silvered dial engraved with black Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds dial, 'up-and-down' dial for 56 hours, Admiralty mark and signed 'Thomas Mercer, St Albans, England, 16442', with blued steel spade hands, the serial number repeated to the bowl, with a plain two-tier mahogany case, diameter 18 x 18 x 17cm the serial number on this movement would indicate a date of manufacture of 1943 * Thomas Mercer moved to London from Lancashire where he had worked with the famed chronometer maker Thomas Russell. Finding work hard to come by he was ready to emigrate to America. He had bought a one-way ticket, until he noticed a fine chronometer in the shop window of John Fletcher. He walked in and was immediately given a position as a watch springer and finisher. He then established his own business in 1858 at New North Road, London before, in 1874, moving to St Albans, setting up a factory behind his house in Prospect Road. in September 1900 Thomas Mercer was appointed as judge for the horological class at the Universal Exhibition held in Paris. Unfortunately he caught a cold on the ferry crossing over and died at the H'tel Internationale, Paris, whereupon his son Frank took over the running of the business. A 1929 Advert in the British Industries Fair Catalogue shows Mercers as manufacturers of the 'Octo' timekeeper System of Electric Synchronised Clocks for all purposes, both Land and Marine. The company closed in 1984.