This movement and dial may initially look the same as similar ones from the same area and period that are and have been on offer, but it is actually far better.

Please also see my listing of the two brass case weights which have been originally and historically with this movement and dial. I would have preferred to have listed them with this movement to which they belong, but had I done so, the total weight would have exceeded the 20 KG weight limit allowed to be shipped by the ebay global shipping facility. It will be sad if they are sold to different buyers, but had no choice but to do it this way. They have been purposely listed to enable viewing of them and at a high price assuming that it will deter them being sold and I will reduce the price of these considerably to the buyer of this movement.

This item is a 12 inch arched brass dial and movement made in the late 1750's - 60's by William Kemp from Lewes as is engraved on the attractive 'axe head' cartouche.

Other than that cartouche one would take this as a typical mid 1700's London movement and dial, having the strike silent to the arch, full brass dial sheet (rather than the cut away brass dials of more provincial makers) with a finely matted centre, and five movement pillars.

However, this item goes a step or two above the normal , having the typical brass strip pendulum rod but with the heavier, thicker brass fronted bob along with the longer crutch connecting through a slot in the pendulum rod. It also has the more unusual benefit for this age of movement of a latched centre pillar. It also has a strike repeat lever and a larger, spoked out bottom wheel for the calendar ring to rotate on. The calendar and strike silent mechanism both being in tact and although would benefit from a clean and service, the movement ticks and strikes with finger and thumb pressure put on the great wheels.

Whilst these features are more unusual and desirable, they are not seen when cased and possibly most appreciated by the more informed and decerning collector, I believe that the aesthetic appearance of the dial is equally, if not more important and appreciated by the casual observer as well as the out and out horologist. As related above, the dial on this movement may initially appear to look the same as most London style dials of this period, it is actually much more pleasing than most. Whilst all similar dials have chapter ring, matted centre, spandrels, a square Calander aperture, a subsidiary seconds chapter ring, and similar ring for the strike silent dial in the arch, if able to compare side by side, or with images of similar more usual dials of this type, I believe that even the uninformed viewer would discern that this one was more pleasing, possibly without realising why.

Looking at similar items on offer, often the spandrels do not fit tight to the chapter ring, but leave quite an area of plain brass showing and also fall short of where the case masking would cloak to around the perimeter of the dial, again leaving uninteresting plain brass areas. Similarly, there is often this widish space between the features on the square of the dial and the spandrels in the arch, along with the strike silent ring. The seconds chapter is often too wide to look proportionate somehow and along with the strike silent chapter, slightly short of the optimum diameter.

Studying the dial on offer, it can be seen that not only are the spandrels around the main chapter ring much less commonly seen and much more delicate and intricate than usual, together with how they hug the chapter ring, actually touching and continue to within a few mm of the edge of the dial sheet, so when masked, would also fit snug up to the masking. The matted centre is very fine and the seconds chapter proportionately narrow with all of the 5 minutes engraved rather than every other or just the quarters. It also reaches the inside of the main chapter ring and down to virtually the dial centre, which I believe is aesthetically beneficial. (the seconds hand on this may have been changed or shortened at some point, as it should extend to the chapter)

The more typical winged dolphin spandrels to the arch are deeply cast and extend again and would almost touch the a masking of the hood. They also extend down leaving a minimal space between them and the features on the square of the dial. The chapter around the strike silent also extends to touch the main chapter ring and to virtually the top of the arch and is nicely engraved.

These, what may be deemed by some as minor features, are most important in making the whole dial as aesthetically pleasing as possible and displays the makers eye for detail and proportionality, which I believe sets this dial and movement way above the norm and as such, the start price relatively modest.

William Kemp had family connections with London clock makers and possibly learned his clock making skills there or from London makers as he has produced a movement and dial that would not be too different from those produced there other than being arguably better than most of the period. But clearly worked at the time in Lewes.