This fascinating and possibly unique watch has a specially constructed movement that incorporates two spring barrels. Both barrels are wound with a single chain connected to a single fusee. This gives the watch a duration of approximately six days. The use of the duplex escapement is particularly appropriate as it needs greater power to allow for the large balance arc and high number of vibrations. The use of two spring barrels in a watch of this date is highly unusual although typical of the innovative nature of Anthony?s work. Later, Breguet developed the idea of using the two barrel winding system but in Breguet?s watches and chronometers the barrels run in contra-direction and are usually wound independently. This system was intended as a precision feature to reduce variations in timekeeping rather than purely to extend the duration of the watch. William Anthony. Born about 1765, William Anthony worked in Red Lion Street, St John?s Square, Clerkenwell, where he made high class, decorative watches for the Chinese market. Characteristic of his production are watches with oval dials and hands which are jointed so as to adjust automatically to the changing radius of the dial as they travel round. As a successful tradesman, Anthony played an active part in the founding of the Watch- and Clock-makers? Benevolent Association in 1815, but thereafter suffered a series of losses following unsuccessful litigation with Grimaldi & Johnson and an illfated attempt to set up a commercial exhibition in the Somerset Gallery, Strand, of Commonwealth and Stuart costume displayed on wax models. He died in straitened circumstances in 1844. The present lot was previously sold by Antiquorum Hong Kong, on June 10, 1997, lot 414.