Jacob Sargeant Pocket Watch

Jacob Sargeant was born in Mansfield, Connecticut in 1761. He was a clock maker, watch maker, jeweler, and silver and goldsmith. Sargeant is most known for his clocks that he made early in his career. He also retailed watches and clocks, including Willard's "Patent Timepieces", today known as banjo clocks.

Sargeant's working dates are 1784 to 1786 in Mansfield, Massachusetts, 1786 to 1795 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and from 1795 to 1843 in Hartford, Connecticut "at the Sign of the Golden Watch". He employed his younger brother, Thomas in the Springfield business and Thomas continued at that location when Jacob relocated to Hartford in 1795. Other apprentices may have included Charles Brewer, Nathan Storrs, Henry and John Owen and Walter Pitkin (Hohmann, 353).

Interestingly, Sargeant taught Henry and James Pitkin watchmaking from 1825 to 1832. The Pitkin brothers would go on to be the first in America to attempt to make movements by machine, producing about 1,000 movements from 1837 to 1841.

Additional References and recommended reading:

• Frank Hohmann III, Timeless, Masterpiece American Brass Dial Clocks, Hohmann Holdings LLC, New York, 2009, p.352-353