A MAHOGANY-CASED EIGHT-DAY MARINE CHRONOMETERJOSEPH SEWILL, LIVERPOOL, LATE 19th CENTURYThe circular three columnar pillar single chain fusee movement with crescent shaped spotted backplate enclosing the greatwheel with Harrison's maintaining power and the centre wheel, the remainder of the train contained within a smaller circular three-pillar sub-plate including Earnshaw type spring detent escapement regulated by a split bimetallic balance with cylindrical weights and helical invar or palladium balance spring, with faceted diamond destone and blued steel backcock securing screws, the 4.5 inch circular silvered Roman numeral dial with subsidiary seconds dial numbered 5307 beneath signature JOSEPH SEWILL, 61 CASTLE ST., LIVERPOOL., Maker to the Admiralty and WIND DOWN/UP dial flanked by PRIZE MEDAL AWARDED 1867 and INTERNATIONAL EXHIB. 1862 medallions beneath the X and II numerals respectively, with gold spade hands and secured by a screw-down bezel into a lacquered brass bowl with shuttered winding hole to underside, mounted via gimbals into a mahogany two-tier box with glazed top and vacant name panel recess to front, the sides with lacquered brass recessed carrying handles, (lacking top tier to box).The box 19cm (7.5ins) high, 21.5cm (8.5ins) square.Provenance: Private collection, East Midlands.Joseph Sewill was born in Liverpool in 1816 and started up as a watchmaker, chronometer maker, and nautical instrument maker at 61 South Castle St, Liverpool in about 1848. Latterly Joseph went into partnership with two of his sons and is thought to have retired to London in 1862. His son, John Joshua Sewill (d. 1891) succeeded him and headed the business until his death in 1891, The firm was well regarded and opened branches in London (at 30 Cornhill prior to 1882), Glasgow and Locle (Switzerland). In 1867 a chronometer by Sewill won the Greenwich Trials and they became makers to the Admiralty. In the 1874 Greenwich Trials their chronometers came first and third. They also entered pieces into Kew trials, where a karrusel watch was awarded 81.8 marks in 1900. They won an award for 'services to horology' at the Paris Exhibition of 1862, and later became 'Maker to the Queen of Spain'.