Frodsham Chain & Fusee Pocket Watch Movement

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Raphmeister's exploration into vintage pocket watches, specifically a chain and fusee movement and a recased quarter repeater, offers a refreshing counterpoint to the relentless pursuit of modern horological novelties. His post highlights how historical timepieces, often overlooked in today's market, can provide immense horological satisfaction and mechanical intrigue without the exorbitant price tags of contemporary 'grail' watches. This deep dive into the mechanics of a Frodsham chain and fusee movement reminds us that true watchmaking artistry often lies in the innovations of the past.

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its not always about the getting the latest and greatest is it? so much hype and marketing baloney ramming all kinds of timekeeping monstrosities into our consciousness... of course there are nice watches too but have you seen what they are going for these days? prices have been on the up and up for the past couple of years with no signs of stopping...

fear not though, there are actually a lot of interesting watches out there with cool movements that won't cost you an arm and a leg... no they weren't on show at this years basel and sihh... i am talking about vintage pocket watches

(these belong to the greater than 100 years variety)

before you zone out because like me you know how impractical pocket watches are in this day and age, thinking along the lines "if i cant wear it around my wrist what good is it?" fret not, i ain't hanging no pocket watch on me either, they just aren't practical (even the RM ones which look like a scorpion mated with an alien space ship)... but if recased in a wristwatch... hmmm things can get a little interesting... so i got on the hunt and found some nice acquisitions... exhibit a. got me one recased quarter repeater and exhibit b. a chain and fusee pocket watch movement sans case... and am loving having the 2 of em

the chain and fusee pocketwatch was from one of the frodshams...
english watchmakers

looks like bicycle gears and chain?

i like looking at it ticking aways

still living and breathing after all this time...

dial is in a reasonable condition...

but its more of this that i like looking at... balance on hold...

adjusting the time

giving it more power... balance wheel in motion

next one up... a little about the founder of the company... charles frodsham was a true independant watchmaker. the guy built a prize winning marine chronometer at 20!

my line here would be "if he was making marine chronometers for the british navy, he's probably a good enough watch maker for me" so i got me a recased quarter repeater with some real vintage value from charles' fine company

After 1850, Charles Frodsham came out with a new ebauche and for the next 15 to 20 years all higher grade 3/4 plate watches bore the date code AD Fmsz. The code is formed by the sequence of the letters in Frodsham with a Z added to get the digit value 0... the other words on it are 'by appointment to the Queen', Cha Frodsham, 84 Strand and 07898... its about 120 years old and it still keeps great time and chimes fine (uh... ok, the chiming mechanism thinks its 6-7minutes faster than it is ie at 655hrs, it chimes the time for 700hrs... but i'm cool with it though..)

the hammer is the thingy on the left side... it makes a pretty fine sound

simple and beautiful and pretty loud too ...
the repeater that is...

oh and is the trend of watches of today ... ITS HUGE.
i mean its a pocket watch movement yuh

not big for bigs sake

one bad thing about pocket watches though is getting them serviced. finding someone good who won't kill you on the fees and for the repeater, the servicing charge for that may be something else altogether, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it...

Some history of the man and the company

Charles Frodsham

Charles Frodsham (1810-1871) was a renowned watch and clockmaker. He took over Arnold & Co in 1843 at 84 Strand, London. The family business Charles Frodsham and Co. still hold the Royal Warrant as clock suppliers to the British Royal Family.

1810-1871

English clockmaker and chronometer maker.
Member of the Clockmaker Company.Free CC.1854. Master CC.1855. Son of William James Frodsham. Supplier to the British Royal Family (from 1854).

1830 (at the age of twenty)

Presentation of his first marine chronometer at the Greenwich Observatory competition where he won second prize.

1842

Establishment of Charles Frodsham & Co.

1851

Presentation of a ¾ platinum watch at the London Exhibition.
Construction of marine chronometers for the Admiralty.
Extensive research on the self-compensating balance wheel and spiral.

Key Points from the Discussion

The Frodsham name is being revived as a high-end English watchmaker, suggesting increased future visibility for the brand.
Recased vintage pocket watch movements, especially those from esteemed makers like Frodsham, can offer exceptional value and horological interest compared to many contemporary options.
The condition of the chain and fusee movement, particularly its relative thinness, is impressive for a vintage piece, making it suitable for recasing.
Raphmeister expresses interest in the Frodsham revival but hopes they maintain the brand's heritage and quality, perhaps drawing inspiration from successful revivals like A. Lange & Söhne.
High-quality photography can significantly enhance the appreciation of intricate vintage movements, even in challenging lighting conditions.

The Discussion

Kong

Apr 26, 2008

if we get to meet next round. There is so much more in this vintage Frodsham's centurian. Pretty good condition. Congrats! Kong

MTF

Apr 26, 2008

Regards, MTF PS. Some people may have spotted that my photos are of Raphael's actual watch

CTCT

Apr 29, 2008

I still don´t get this kind of feelings trough contemporary watchmaking. I wonder why?

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Frodsham Chain & Fusee Pocket Watch Movement

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