Dutton

Matthew Dutton (Sr.), Thomas Dutton (Junior) and Matthew Dutton (Jr.)

After William Dutton’s death in 1794, his elder son Matthew Dutton took over the business, signing the pieces ‘Matt(w) Dutton’. He was apprenticed to Thomas Mudge during the period when latter was working on his marine chronometers ‘Green and Blue’. He became master of the ‘Clockmaker’s company in 1800 and continued the numbering of Thomas Mudge and followed production traditions such as movement layout, scratching of production numbers on parts and best quality engraving. His younger brother Thomas Dutton worked as independent watchmaker signing his pieces either ‘Thomas Dutton’ or ‘Dutton Jun(io)r’. Another contemporary watchmaker named Benjamin Dutton was not of the same family. (A)

The Dutton business was then entering the third generation with Matthew Dutton (Jr.), who signed his output as ‘Matt(w) Dutton’, like his father. He adhered to the newly introduced Lancashire type of raw movements. Matthew was the last watchmaker in the line since Thomas Tompion. (A)