This beautifully preserved mid-19th century fusee pocket watch is signed by H. Samuel, the now-iconic British jeweler originally founded in Manchester. Housed in a solid silver case, this key-wound timepiece features a traditional English lever fusee movement, a mechanism known for delivering exceptionally steady power over its wind—making it a marvel of early horological engineering.
H. Samuel began as a family business in the mid-1800s, with Harriet Samuel taking over the management of her father-in-law's clock-making business and relocating it to Market Street, Manchester. From there, she transformed the business into a nationwide success. This watch dates to that early era, when H. Samuel sold fine timepieces crafted either in-house or through skilled regional watchmakers and casemakers.
The fusee movement, with its distinctive chain-driven gearing system, represents the height of precision in pre-industrial watchmaking. These movements were typically hand-finished, and many were unsigned or privately labeled for retailers like H. Samuel. Wound and set by key, this piece speaks to a time when personal timekeeping was still a marvel and a luxury.
For collectors of antique English horology, this is a rare and tangible piece of both British watchmaking and retail history. The watch remains in vintage condition, bearing the charming signs of age and service. A testament to the longevity of craft and the story of a woman-led brand that grew to become a household name.
This beautifully preserved mid-19th century fusee pocket watch is signed by H. Samuel, the now-iconic British jeweler originally founded in Manchester. Housed in a solid silver case, this key-wound timepiece features a traditional English lever fusee movement, a mechanism known for delivering exceptionally steady power over its wind—making it a marvel of early horological engineering.
H. Samuel began as a family business in the mid-1800s, with Harriet Samuel taking over the management of her father-in-law's clock-making business and relocating it to Market Street, Manchester. From there, she transformed the business into a nationwide success. This watch dates to that early era, when H. Samuel sold fine timepieces crafted either in-house or through skilled regional watchmakers and casemakers.
The fusee movement, with its distinctive chain-driven gearing system, represents the height of precision in pre-industrial watchmaking. These movements were typically hand-finished, and many were unsigned or privately labeled for retailers like H. Samuel. Wound and set by key, this piece speaks to a time when personal timekeeping was still a marvel and a luxury.
For collectors of antique English horology, this is a rare and tangible piece of both British watchmaking and retail history. The watch remains in vintage condition, bearing the charming signs of age and service. A testament to the longevity of craft and the story of a woman-led brand that grew to become a household name.
