John Cragg Pocket Watch
John Cragg Pocket Watch
This watch is displayed because of its American 18 carat gold case stamped with the goldsmith's name "S. D. Rockwell".
Located in London, John Cragg, the name engraved on the movement, conducted a large trade with America in the 1850s.
Samuel Darling Rockwell, the maker of this gold case, was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut in 1810. He apprenticed to Alfred Lockwood in New York City in about 1825. Rockwell is listed as a silversmith, jeweler, and watchmaker in NYC from 1834 to 1845 at 76 Hester Street, and 100 1/2 Cherry Street in 1839. From 1845 to 1855 he worked in Yorkers (Voss).
High quality jeweled movement, serial number 20584, with lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensating balance with gold timing screws and diamond end stone. Movement is engraved John Cragg, 8 Northampton Square, London. Likely finished in Coventry, England (Kemp, 54). Enamel dial with seconds signed John Cragg, London. Gold hands.
Dust cap engraved "Made Expressly For S. D. Rockwell, New York"
S.D. Rockwell Gold American Case
S. D. Rockwell Case Maker
18 Carat gold case with maker's mark S.D. Rockwell 20584. Capital letter "R" within an unusual multi-star round shield.
For other examples of an English movements cased in America see David Taylor, Thomas Blundell, George Harlow, William Mitchell.
Additional References and recommended reading:
Dr. Robert Kemp, The Fusee Lever Watch, John Sherratt and Son Ltd., 1981
William Erik Voss, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~silversmiths/makers/silversmiths