This is an extremely high quality large English watch by one of the most enigmatic of makers and sold to an English aristocrat, The Marquess of Tweedale. The "Chelsea bun" temperature compensation is a rare feature only found on watches made by makers with a thorough knowledge of the latest technical innovations and was a favourite of Vulliamy, it is sometimes found on watches by other makers such as Josiah Emery.

George Hay, 8th Marquess of Tweeddale
was born on February 1, 1787, and died on October 10, 1876. He was the son of George Hay, 7th Marquess of Tweeddale (b. 1753, d. 9 August 1804) and Lady Hannah Charlotte Maitland (d. 8 May 1804). He married Lady Susan Montagu, daughter of William Montagu, 5th Duke of Manchester and Lady Susan Gordon, on 28 March 1816.

Their children were:
- Susan Georgiana Hay (d. 6 May 1853)
- Emily Hay (d. 4 Apr 1924)
- Louisa Jane Hay (d. 9 Sep 1882)
- Lady Elizabeth Hay (b. 27 Sep 1820, d. 13 Aug 1904)
- George Hay, Earl of Gifford (b. 22 Apr 1822, d. 22 Dec 1862)
- Arthur Hay, 9th Marquess of Tweeddale (b. 9 Nov 1824, d. 29 Dec 1878)
- William Montagu Hay, 10th Marquess of Tweeddale (b. 27 Jan 1826, d. 25 Nov 1911)
- Admiral John Hay (b. 23 Aug 1827, d. 4 May 1916)
- Hannah Charlotte Hay (b. b 1828, d. 10 Nov 1887)
- Jane Hay (b. 1848, d. 13 Dec 1920)


The Vulliamys
Three members of this family were active from 1730 to 1854. Though they are best known for their exceptional regulator clocks, they also made some excellent watches and decorative clocks. Early in the 18th century, Justin Vulliamy emigrated from Switzerland and settled in London. He became associated with Benjamin Gray of Pall Mall, whose daughter he married and with whom he was in partnership from 1730 to 1775. Justin Vulliamy carried on the business after Gray's death. Benjamin Gray had been clockmaker to George II, and the Vulliamy family held the office of clockmaker to the reigning sovereign until the death of Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy in 1854. Justin's son Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy was much favored and consulted by George III on mechanical subjects, especially in connection with Kew Observatory, which was a hobby of the King. Born in 1780, Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy was noted for the exactness and excellent finish of his work, in both clocks and watches. He took an active interest in the Clockmakers' Company, of which he was five times Master between 1821 and 1848. In 1849 the Court presented him with a piece of plate in recognition of his services to the Company. The most characteristic Vulliamy watches have a duplex escapement and the whole top plate covered with a decorative pierced fret. These watches were made with little or no variation over a surprisingly long period, from before 1800 until well after 1820. Another rarer class of Vulliamy watch could almost be taken for a Breguet lever repeater, except that the center of the gold or silver dial is matte rather than engine-turned. It is highly probable that these were made for Vulliamy by Sylvain Mairet. Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy died in January 1854.

The Vulliamy Cryptic Code
The signature "Vulliamy" on its own was used between 1792 - 1854. The mysterious cryptic numbering code such as "uxu" used on the present watch has been a puzzle to horological historians for many years. An attempt to decipher this code was made by Vaudrey Mercer and according to his list the number "uxu" converts to 787 and an approximate date of 1800. See: "Benjamin Gray and The Vulliamys, An Attempt to Decipher the Cryptic Code which they used on their Watches", Vaudrey Mercer, Antiquarian Horology, September, 1983.