Correspondence with the author of "Las Maquinas Prodigiosas"

Following my post about Watch No. 8346 referred to in "Las Maquinas Prodigiosas" (The Prodigious Machines), I decided to try and get in touch with the author, Luis Sanchez Biosca and ask about his book and the Kover watch to which it refers. Here is his reply in original Spanish:

"He recibido su interesnte correo a traves del correo de Andreas Prokop en el que da cuenta de su interes por los relojes fabricados por el relojero Kover afincado en la ciudad de Londres a principios del siglo 18.
Asi mismo he leido con sumo interes su blog en el que hace una detallada esposicion del reloj asi como de las circustancias de su fabricacion y el ambiente existente para los relojeros de esa epoca en el Reino Unido.
De la existencia del fabricante Kover solamente dan fe sus relojes, pues de lo que yo he podido investigar no hay constancia del domicilio ni del numero de relojes fabricados por el mismo, pero de lo que si estoy seguro es de que el reloj, cuya fotografia esta en mi libro, es de 1727, pues esta totalmente reconocido que los gremios de fabricantes de relojes en  UK debian de pasar ciertos controles para certificar la calidad de sus productos, y en esos controles se les ponia en la caja, por su parte interior un punzon correspondiente al año de su fabricacion.
Por tanto y a la vista de los relojes Kever por usted ha localizado hasta este momento y atendiendo a su numeracion que va desde el numero 7284 al 9430, es de suponer que mucho antes de 1727 este fabricante ya se dedicaba a fabricar relojes, por lo que el comunicante de su Blog que da unas fechas de 1720 a 1760 puede estar en lo correcto, pues es de suponer que al iniciar la fabricacion de relojes no comenzaran por el numero 1. De todos modos si el numero de los relojes por Vd localizados fueran correlativos, estariamos hablando de no menos de 1.146 relojes fabricados en un periode de 40 años, cantidad excesiva para los procesos de fabricacion de relojes de esos años en donde no existia la produccion en cadena, ni la maquinaria adecuada.
La Galluza, traducida por el traductor de Google como Galluzo, es un termino correcto en Español, aunque en desuso, pues entre los aficionados a la relojeria antigua realmente se le conoce como galluza, y es una pieza situada en la parte superior de la pletina del reloj por la que se protege la espiral del reloj, y es un elemento determinante para para cataslogar a los relojes por el origen de su fabricacion, pues los relojes fabricados en UK llevan solamente un punto de anclaje, mientras que los fabricados en el Continente disponen de dos anclajes.
En cuanto al reloj por mi referenciado en el Museo de Artes Decorativas de Praga, tengo que indicarle que no es un reloj Kover, pues la referencia estaba colocada para indicar la diferencia entre la decoracion de la esfera entre los relojes fabricados en la UK y los fabricados en el Continente. No obstante cuando llegue a España pues ahora me encuentro en Manchester y no tengo la informacion a mano, le enviare, via correo electronico, una fotocopia digitalizada de dicha pagina.
Referente a la consulta que le hacen sobre una impresion de papel encontrada en el fondo de un reloj localizado en Dundee tengo que indicarle que se trata de una reparacion."

and a Google Translate conversion to English:

"I received your mail interesnte through the mail in which Andreas Prokop realizes his interest in clocks manufactured by Kover watchmaker based in the city of London in the early 18th century.
Likewise I read with great interest your blog that gives a detailed exposition of the clock as well as on the circumstances of their manufacture and the existing environment to the watchmakers of that time in the United Kingdom.
Manufacturer of the existence of Kover only attest their watches, because what I have investigated there is no record of the home or the number of watches made by it, but what if I am sure of is that the clock, the picture this in my book, 1727, it is fully recognized that unions in UK watchmakers certain controls must have passed to certify the quality of their products, and these controls were put in the box on the inside a punch for the year of manufacture.
Therefore and in view of Kever watches for you have located so far and according to their numbering ranging from 7284 to 9430 the number, it is likely that long before 1727, this manufacturer and was dedicated to making watches, so the caller of your blog that gives some dates from 1720 to 1760 may be correct, it is assumed that when you start the manufacture of clocks do not begin with the number 1. Anyway, if the number of clocks by you located were correlated, we would be talking about no less than 1146 watches made in a period of 40 years, too much for the watch manufacturing processes of those years where there was no production in chain, and the right equipment.
The Galluzo, translated by Google translator as Galluzo is a correct term in Spanish, although obsolete, since among the fans of really old watches called Galluzo, and is a part located at the top of the deck clock that is protected by the spiral of the clock and is a determining factor for the clocks cataslogar the origin of their manufacture, as the watches made in UK carry only one anchor point, while those made on the Continent have two anchors.
As the clock on my referenced in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, I have to tell you that Kover is not a clock as the reference was placed to indicate the difference between the decoration of the area between the clocks manufactured in the UK and manufactured on the Continent. But when you get to Spain because now I am in Manchester and I have no information at hand, I will send, via email, a scanned copy of the page.
Concerning the consultation that make an impression on paper found at the bottom of a clock located in Dundee I have to tell you that this is a repair."

I am very grateful to Luis Sanchez Biosca for his response and I eagerly anticipate receipt of a scanned copy of the page from the book "El Arte de la Relojería"

You may be able to buy a copy of the book "Las Maquinas Prodigiosas" by Luis Sanchez Biosca here

"Badge Engineering" in the 18th Century?

I recently noticed that the word KOVER in the centre of the dial of my own Kover watch (No. 7629) did not align centrally with the 60 / XII. Here is a rather poor image that does, however, show this misalignment.

I thought this a little odd until I realized that the centre part of the dial is a separate part and can, in fact, be rotated by applying a gentle torque. I guess that, when new, the centre dial was correctly aligned and it has moved over the last 250 years!

I notice that the centre part on the beautifully preserved Watch No. 8346 appears also to be very slightly misaligned (although this could be distortion in the photograph). The centre part also includes the word LONDON which mine does not.

I have speculated whether the dial maker supplied the same "Champlève" outer dial to several different watch assemblers, who added their own branding in the centre part of the dial - an early form of "Badge Engineering". Or did the watch assembler want to keep full control over branding whilst maintaining the flexibility to procure the outer dials from multiple sources?

I must do a little research to see if I can discover identical "Champlève" outer dials on watches signed other than Kover.

Readers' comments would be appreciated - maybe there's an obvious and completely different reason that I've missed.