Britannia Silver English Turkish Market Verge
£9,000.00
An interesting early 18th Century English mock pendulum verge in a silver case with Britannia marks made for the Turkish market. Deep full plate fire gilt movement with Egyptian pillars, two having galleries above. Fusee and chain with worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates. Winged cock with decoratively engraved table, glazed semi-circular aperture which reveals the oscillating bob on one arm of the steel balance, pierced and engraved foot. Pierced and engraved gilt plate for the silver regulator disc marked with Turkish numerals. White enamel dial with Turkish numerals, blue steel hands. Plain Britannia silver inner case, split bezel, silver pendant and ring bow. Maker's mark "BO" and number corresponding to that on the movement. Decorative symbolic outer case with restored covering to the metal body. Silver bezels and trapped case button, scratched numbered to the left of the pendant opening. Ottoman Islamic Decoration, silver and gold pin work representing crescents and other Ottoman motifs.
An interesting and rare early example of a watch made for the Turkish market. We were fortunate enough recently to be able to compare this watch side by side with another by the same maker. It was similar in a number of respects but the decoratively covered silver consular case was unmarked. It had a lower number and some earlier details. However not only did it have a mock pendulum cock but a silver champleve dial with Turkish numerals. It appears he traded with Turkey over a number of years. Richard Colston, London, free of the clockmakers company 1682, died 1709. He was the grandson of John Colston, apprenticed 1637, cc 1646 and son to John Colston II, cc 1654 - 1682. His son, Thomas Colston, was apprenticed in 1702.
The inner case bears Britannia silver hallmarks. Hallmarks in silver watch cases are rare until 1739. Cases were regarded as small pieces which were not required to be hallmarked until the Act of 1738/39. In 1697 it was decreed that all silver should be of the higher Britannia standard of 95.84%. Britannia silver is softer than Sterling silver and therefore less suitable for articles subject to high wear, such as watch cases. A further deterrent to submitting cases for hallmarking. The Sterling silver standard was re-introduced in 1720 alongside the Britannia standard which is still rarely used to this day. One regulation which came into effect with the 1697 act was that makers should destroy their existing punches and register new ones bearing the first two letters of the surname. Most maker's marks had consisted of the first letter of their Christian and Surname. In practice it seems that the regulations were generally ignored by makers of watch cases who continued to use the existing system. Casemaker Samuel Bottwell, Fetter Lane - free of the clockmakers company 1681 - entered this mark for the Britannia standard in 1697. The case appears to have been sent for assay before being fully finished as the date mark has been partly removed by the winding aperture.
Technical Specifications
- Reference Number
- A1304
- Hallmarked London
- 1702
- Signed
- Rich Colston London
- Dimensions
- Diameter 52 mm Depth 18 mm
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