A9601
Very Early Balance Spring Pair Cased Pocket Watch
£19,500.00
Signed John Wise London
Circa 1680
Circa 1680
A fine 17th Century English verge in silver and leather pair cases.
Diameter 60 mm Depth 17 mm
Out of stock
Description
A fine 17th Century English verge in silver and leather pair cases. Deep full plate fire gilt movement with broad tulip pillars. Fusee and chain with worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates. Pierced and engraved cock with pierced and engraved foot. Plain steel balance with blue steel hairspring, silver regulator disc. Silver champleve dial, the centre with simple foliate decoration, Roman and Arabic numerals, blue steel hands. Substantial plain silver inner case with rotating shutter to the winding aperture , maker's mark “WB”. Fine and attractive outer case covered in black leather and decorated in a tulip pattern with silver pique pins.
One of the earliest known balance spring watches in excellent overall condition. From the collection of Cecil Clutton, this watch has featured in a number of books. It is illustrated and described over four pages in the 1974 book “Collector's Collection” by Cecil Clutton where it is the first watch of 33 selected pieces. The tulip hour hand was made for Clutton by Geroge Daniels. John Wise, apprenticed to Peter Closon in 1638, free of the Clockmakers Company 1646, died 1694. Casemaker William Bertram
