Massive Silver Verge with Chain

This is an oversized and exceptionally heavy verge pocket watch.

MOVEMENT : Gilded fusee verge movement, with engraved balance cock. Bosley type regulator. Four round baluster pillars.

Signed Ryley & Son, COVENTRY and numbered 2919. All in very good original condition and running well.

The pillars are exceptionally substantial and the balance cock, both plates and dial false plate are all made of particularly heavy gauge brass.

DIAL : Cream enamel dial, in reasonable condition, but with a chip on the edge at 12 and a crack across the edge between 10 and 11. A replacement.

Gilt hands

INNER CASE : Silver, with Birmingham hallmarks for 1835. Maker’s mark JH and with the movement serial number 4919.

In excellent condition throughout. The high dome bull’s eye crystal is fine.

OUTER CASE : Silver, with matching hallmarks and maker’s mark to the inner.

Again in very good condition with some very minor bruises.. The catch, catch button and hinge are all fine and the bezel snaps shut correctly. The silver at the middle of the back of this outer case is over 5 mm. thick.

CHAIN : Incredibly heavy and substantial silver chain, 48 cm. long. Graduated links, with T bar and dog clip. All links and parts stamped with the Lion Passant for silver. The clip nand T bar are also stamped with worn year and maker’s marks.

The central link is 18.7 mm. across and the silver of this link is 5 mm. thick.

The silver is tarnished but otherwise in good condition.

This watch is exceptionally heavy, weighing a total of over 610 gms. plus about 340 gms. for the chain. The movement alone weighs over 100 gms., the inner case 146 gms. and the outer 363 gms.
So about 850 gms. of silver in total.

This is a very unusual watch, and although watches of a large diameter are occasionally seen, this watch with such heavy gauge movement plates and silver cases, is very rare. It may have been made as an exhibition piece or perhaps made for a specific purpose where extra strength and weight were required for both movement and cases.

Ryley & Son is listed in Coventry between 1833 and 1868.