Beschreibung:

AN OAK AND CAST BRASS OFFICE WALL TIMEPIECE
THOMAS MERCER, St. ALBANS, MID 20th CENTURY
The eight-day single going barrel movement with four cylindrical pillars screwed through the front and rear, and platform lever escapement regulated by sprung monometallic balance, the frosted backplate signed MERCER, ST. ALBANS ENGLAND and numbered 002519, the 9.5 inch square silvered brass Roman numeral dial also signed MERCER, ST. ALBANS ENGLAND and with blued steel spade hands, set behind heavy hinged glazed cast brass bezel with silvered canted insert to interior and locking screw clasp, the square case worked from one piece of oak.
The front 25.5cm (10ins) square, 8cm (3.25ins) deep.
 
Provenance:
Acquired by the vendor direct from Mercer where it was believed to have been used in their St. Albans offices.
 
The chronometer making firm Thomas Mercer of St. Albans was established by Thomas Mercer (1822-60) at North Road, London in 1858 before moving to 45 Spencer Street, Clerkenwell in 1860. Mercer became an active member of the British Horological Institute (established in 1858) where he lectured on the need to modernise the industry and served as honorary treasurer from 1875-95. After occupying several addresses in Clerkenwell Mercer relocated the core of the business to St. Albans in 1874 setting up a factory behind his house at 14-15 Prospect Road. Although the bulk of the businesses work was undertaken in St. Albans Mercer personally made weekly trips to Clerkenwell to deliver/collect parts finished by specialist outworkers as well as visit the Horological Institute. In order to maintain a presence in London Thomas Mercer opened an outlet 18 Westmoreland Road, City Road in 1890. Succuss at the Greenwich trials was also always considered important to Mercer who entered instruments every year; he was placed second in 1881 and his son, Frank, came first in 1911. In 1900 Thomas Mercer accepted an invitation to judge at the Universal Exhibition in Paris but unfortunately caught a cold on the ferry crossing and died soon after his return. The business was subsequently continued by his successors becoming of the most prolific suppliers of chronometers and other timepiece for industrial, maritime and domestic purposes and continued trading in St Albans until 1984.