YANKEE INGENUITY AND DESIGN: THE EARLIEST KNOWN WATCH MADE ENTIRELY ON AMERICAN SOIL

Rarely in the world today does an object surface that redefines scholarship in an entire field. Such is the case with the discovery of the Henry Voight-Francis Bailey pocket watch. The presently offered watch was made by Henry Voight, chosen later by George Washington as chief coiner of the first US Mint and especially made for the first printer of the Articles of Confederation, Francis Bailey.

As impressive as the unparalleled technical merits of this unique watch, no less impressive are the life and times of the man by whom it was originally ordered. They bear witness to the age of the founding fathers. This watch literally rewrites the history of American horology and touches upon every element of the birth of a nation.

The heart of this incredible story connects us directly to masterful figures of early American history. However, perhaps even more prominent is its powerful representation of the American ingenuity to solve problems - whether political, scientific, or horological - in a creative, original, and bold way

Technical Importance of the Voight Watch
From a horological point of view, this watch reveals Voight's genius in solving and improving watchmaking challenges of the era and innovating in a field in which the most revered masters had been practicing their arts for centuries. Protected within a seemingly simple silver case, the watch reveals exceptional surprises in almost every element of its design, from its case with a unique opening system, the novel form of temperature compensation, prototypical Voight-type double virgule escapement, and elaborately engraved balance cock with the pierced initials of its owner. Every element of this watch amazes and informs the modern researcher. The synthesis of these elements evidences and shows the mind of a genius at work and is the quintessence of proverbial Yankee ingenuity.

Henry Voight
Henry Voight (1738-1814) was an early American polymath, who in addition to being an accomplished coinmaker and appointed by PresidentWashington Chief Coiner of the U.S. Mint also had a thriving clock and watchmaking business and was a mathematical instrument maker, machine andsteam engine builder. He is recorded at "Second-street nearly opposite the Buck-Tavern above Race-street...making all sorts of new watches, upon allthe principles which they can be made on in Europe, ."; he repaired clocks and watches for Thomas Jefferson and knew him well; he invented (withJohn Fitch) a new kind of steamboat which achieved then unheard of speeds of 6 to 8 miles per hour. John Fitch wrote of him:

Francis Bailey
Francis Bailey (1744-1817) was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and set up his first print shop in the town of Lancaster, moving the business to Philadelphia in 1778. A prominent member of the community and churchman, he was appointed official printer of the state of Pennsylvania and a deacon of the Presbyterian Church, later becoming an influential Swedenborgian. Deeply involved in the American cause, Bailey was the first to call George Washington "the father of his country" in print and was an early printer of the Articles of Confederation, precursor to the U.S. Constitution. In 1776, while still in Lancaster, he printed an early edition of Thomas Paine's Common Sense; in 1778 he published (with Hugh Henry Brackenridge) the United States Magazine, and in 1781 he became editor of the Freeman's Journal or the North American Intelligencer. Another exemplar of American ingenuity, Bailey invented a printing process designed to thwart forgery, a serious concern at the time.

To read the complete lot description (be sure to click on Lot Notes), see:
THE HENRY VOIGHT-FRANCIS BAILEY AMERICAN CALENDAR WATCH (www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5985098)