Horological Adventures: Vulliamy Half-quarter Dumb Repeater (repeater a toc)

I was fortunate enough to purchase this watch at a phenomenally low price and sell it for more than double - a little bit of knowledge goes a long way in antiques dealing! I didn't even take the watch apart as it was working and repeating already. I did, however, take extra time to research the history behind Vulliamy and this particular type of repeater.

SO, here is what I discovered:

The movement consists of a cylinder escapement and dumb repeater mechanism combination which is rare in itself. The addition of the Vulliamy name, which can essentially guarantee quality, ups the rarity tremendously. What I mean by quality is that nearly every single part of this watch is finished to an exceptional degree. I realize that I'm using these large and overused adjectives to describe the movement, but I'm serious, this watch is an absolute beaut! Check out the pictures and captions below of the detailing.

This specific type of dumb repeater is a British Stockten-type movement based on the mechanism underneath the dial. I don't have too much info on that, but feel free to look it up. At this point, some of you might be wondering what a dumb repeater (repeater a toc) is to begin with. Essentially, it is a repeater without gongs. Rather than hitting gongs and chiming, the hammers on this dumb repeater tap the dust cover that cause vibrations so the user can feel the time rather than hear it. I have seen other examples of the hammers tapping the actual case, too. This type of watch has also been referred to as an opera watch because its practical purpose back in the day was for the user to know the time without disturbing others around him in a dark environment.

So what about Vulliamy? What makes the name so special? Unfortunately, the movement was probably not made by the Justin Vulliamy, the father of the Vulliamy family of watch and clock makers. A particularly unique aspect of Vulliamy watches is the code that Justin Vulliamy and Benjamin Gray devised as a "numbering" system. This movement is marked "x i s," which actually doesn't tell us much at all. This secret code has continued to elude understanding for centuries. What I can confirm, however, is that this movement dates before 1816, the year Vulliamy switched to a four-letter code.

Didn't have the watch in my possession for even a week, but the opportunity to own and examine this piece of horological history was fascinating. The history I learned from research further solidified my passion for this "old-man's" hobby.

*Working on getting the video up*