A fine and rare mid 19th century English engraved gilt brass chronometer carriage timepiece with staple balance, in original travelling box Dent, London, No. 12384 The case with deep angled cornice framing the heavy bevelled glass inspection panel and foliate-cast shaped handle over matching bevelled glass sides to a moulded plinth base on shaped squat feet, with slide-out rear glass panel, the signed white enamel dial with outer minute track enclosing the Roman numerals and fine Breguet-style hands, the subsidiary seconds dial intersecting the number XII, set within an electroformed mask of foliate and floral scrolls against a matt background, the signed and numbered chain fusee movement with Harrison's maintaining power and Earnshaw type spring detent escapement, the diamond endstone over a freesprung blued steel helical spring terminating in a brass and steel staple balance. Ticking, with a winding/handsetting key numbered 12354. Together with the padded baize-lined mahogany travel case. 20cms (8ins) high. Footnotes: Literature: This clock is illustrated in Derek Roberts 'Carriage and other Travelling Clocks', Schiffer 1993, page 305, with the caption 'Dent No.12354' (the number which appears on the current key). A very similar example, number 693 is illustrated in Allix and Bonnert:'Carriage Clocks, Their History and Development', Antique Collectors Club 1974, page 255, which also features Dent's patent balance. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com