Early Dutch verge with wonderful movement

An early Dutch verge, in silver and shagreen pair cases, with an exceptional movement

MOVEMENT : A verge movement, with a large and beautifully engraved silver balance bridge, with pierced gilt plates. Small silver regulator disk and four wonderfully ornate baluster pillars.

Signed “PAULUS BRAMER, AMSTERDAM”.

In very good condition with just a small break to the ornamental gilt bracket holding the stop work. Running well.

DIAL : A fine silver champleve dial, with calendar aperture and signed on the central disc “P. BRAMER, AMSTERDAM”.

In excellent condition. Nice matching gilt fancy hands.

INNER CASE : A plain silver case, with no maker’s mark. The bow is probably later.

All in good condition. The high dome bull’s eye crystal is fine and the bezel snaps shut correctly.

OUTER CASE : Brass base with brass hinge and rims and a shagreen covering.

The shagreen is in quite good condition, though with restoration around the right hand half of the bezel. A little shrinkage and some small chips to the back, but retaining a nice colour. Just 3 pins missing from the bezel and 9 from the back.

The hinge, catch and catch button are fine and the bezel snaps shut correctly.

This outer case is slightly too big for the inner, so is probably a replacement, though of the similar period as the watch.

REFERENCE : A similar watch, dated c1710, by Paulus Bramer, though with a pierced silver rather than solid balance bridge, is illustrated and described in Hollandse Horloges by Cees Peters (p. 132).