|j6 On tie Efcapemetiis ef Time Tieces. 



fimply a piece of brafs for this pallet. You mud know that they have long ago and often 

 made up watches and clocks with Mudge's efcapement to them ; probably from Berthond's 

 /Carrying it to Paris with hira^ Mr. Mudge having (hewed him the efcapement when he was 

 in London, in 1766. 



I fee you wifti to be informed, "Who was the inventor of the compenfation watch at prc- 

 fent in ufe ? I can inform you this, it was the invention of Le Roy, as you may fee in a 

 book, entitled, " Voyage fait par ordre du Roi in 1768, pour eprover les montres Marines, 

 inventees par M. Le Roy, par M. Caflini, Fils." 



The invention of the horizontal efcapement you have attributed to Debaufre. The 

 efcapement of Debaufre has not the fmallefl: affinity to the horizontal one, nor can it give 

 any idea of it, or tend in the lead to lead to it. 



Mr. Tompion certainly gave the idea of the horizontal efcapement, in 1695 ; to be fure 

 it was not in his hands juft what it now is, but in the ftate fuch as he left it, was Mr. 

 Graham (who, I believe, was his apprentice) afterwards led to improve it, and ultimately 

 to complete it, prior fometime to 1730. 



Debaufre's efcapement had two balance wheels on the fame axis, and was a contrate 

 wheel watch. It was the firft watch that perhaps was ever jewelled in the verge holes. In 

 his attempting to improve the efcapement, he formed a connexion with a M. Facie, a native 

 of Geneva, who, in 1700, had invented the piercing of rubies and of watch jewelhng, and 

 ■not being well received with his invention at Paris, Facio came over to London ; and fet 

 to work with Debaufre at the faid efcapement : its pallet was of diamond. 



There are watch-makers at prefent in London who may remember a Debaufre, a watch- 

 jeweller, and one of the earlieft of that bufmefs, who died about 1774, or thereabouts : he 

 ■was old, and perhaps might be the fon of the former. The introdu6tion of watch jewelling* 

 into Britain, you fee, arofe from an accidental circumflance ; and it is ftrange that to this 

 day it is hardly known in France, unlefs of late fome one may have left this country, un- 

 fortunately by want or by opinion, and carried the art there. Should thefc lucubrations be 

 favourably received, I may have fomething more to communicate to you afterwards. 



I am SIR, 



With much efteem, 



Your moft humble fervant, 



THOMAS REID. 

 Watch-maker, Edinburgh. 



• Watch jewelling has contributed not a little to the celebrity of our watches. 



Pray 



