Reply To: New England Pocket Watch Time Set

[Bob Tascione]

Hi BYJWR1,
I would say not commonly found and a little unusual in design for a frictional rest escapement. You don’t see too many duplex escapements around as compared to lever escapement watches. The English used to make some very high quality watches using the duplex and the Swiss produced a great number for the Chinese and Turkish Market. The Swiss made “Chinese Duplex” was popular and many movements were skeletonized with extremely ornate engraving and offered some variations of the duplex escapement. Although the escapement variations were interesting they were still basically a duplex. It’s a good escapement but has a few disadvantages when used for an everyday type watch. One major one was it’s inability to self start if stopped by a sudden shock where the lever escapement solves this problem. When built correctly it can keep extremely accurate time. The reason for what seems like a missing tick is that the balance receives impulse in one direction only; unlike the lever escapement which receives impulse in both directions. Waterbury used them in some of their watches in America and when they reorganized as the New England Watch Co. they continued to use this escapement in some of their watches. These American duplex watches were “lower end” timepieces but are highly collectible.
Same with the push to set. You don’t see too many around. It too is usually found in lower end watches but not nearly as often as the normal pull to set. In fact I can’t recall seeing this type of setting in any higher end watch. That doesn’t mean they didn’t make them only that I don’t remember seeing any.
All in all it’s action is cool to watch and listen to. It’s a fun escapement for those of us that are hooked on this stuff!
Enjoy it BYJWR1,
Bob