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Rare 17th Century Gold Filigree Watch

£19,500.00

An English verge in a fine and rare mid 17th Century filigree gold pair cases with protective outer.  Full plate fire gilt movement with turned baluster pillars.  Pierced and engraved masked cock, pierced and engraved foot and plate for the silver regulator disc. Plain three arm steel balance, blue steel spiral hairspring.  White enamel dial with Roman and Arabic numerals, fine blue steel beetle and poker hands. Substantial 22 carat gold inner case, split bezel and circular shutter to the winding aperture. The dial plate with four lugs locating in slots in the rim of case.  Very rare 22 carat gold filigree outer case made from twisted gold wire and applied gold beads.  Velvet lined gilt metal protective outer case covered in black leather decorated with gilt pique pins.  

In excellent overall condition, especially considering the delicate nature of the filigree work.  The watch would probably have been worn with the filigree case lined in richly coloured silk to match the owners attire.  The cases originally housed a pre-balance spring verge.  This has been replaced with a purpose made movement in about 1740 by Conyers Dunlop, an eminent maker of the period.  At the same time a new dial, hands, gold pendant and protective outer case were fitted.  The outer was almost certainly a replacement for a plain, pressed leather case which had protected the decorative filigree work for a century.  It is unusual for a movement to be replaced in order to extend the life of a watch.  More commonly a new case is fitted to the movement as this was the more valuable part
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Technical Specifications

Reference Number
A9618
Circa
1640
Signature
Con'rs Dunlop London
An English verge in a fine and rare mid 17th Century filigree gold pair cases with protective outer.
Diameter   48 mm       Depth   12.5 mm
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