Silver Champleve Dial Pair Cased Verge
£5,750.00
A late 17th Century silver champleve dial English verge in silver pair cases. Deep full plate fire gilt movement, fine Egyptian pillars with galleries above. Fusee and chain with worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates. Pierced and engraved cock, vestigial wings, pierced and engraved foot. Plain three arm steel balance, silver regulator disc. Engraved gilt edge to the signed silver champleve dial, Roman and Arabic numerals, blue steel beetle and poker hands. Silver pair cases, split bezel to the inner case, number corresponding to that on the movement and maker's mark "II". Five joint square hinge to the outer, silver pendant and stirrup bow.
A good example of an early balance spring English verge. In addition to the early form of cock and pillars the movement has other small details which are rarely found on watches after about 1690 - 95. The fusee square is drilled for the slim shaft attached to the fusee wheel which in this instance is pinned. The barrel has a lower lip in addition to the upper lip. The balance potence has decorative engraving. There are a number of watchmakers called John Harris listed in London at the period. It is probable this maker is a descendant of John Harris, Old Bailey, 1622, free of the clockmakers company 1632 and master in 1641, died 1655. The inner case bears evidence of once having been fitted with a shutter to the winding aperture. These shutters were sometimes added at the owner's request to allow the watch to be worn without the outer case. Casemaker Jonathan Jones, Bell Savage Yard, Ludgate Hill, made cases for Knibb, Windmills and Samuel Watson.
Technical Specifications
- Reference Number
- A1303
- Circa
- 1690
- Signed
- John Harris - Old Baily London
- Dimensions
- Diameter 53 mm Depth 18.5 mm
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