Mid 18thc. London verge

A good mid 18thc. London verge watch, with silver balance cock and particularly nice dial.

MOVEMENT : Gilt fusee movement, with verge escapement, engraved and pierced silver balance cock, four square baluster pillars, polished steel screws and large silver disk. The silver balance cock shows a bird and dolphin amid foliage, with a pierced lace edge.

Signed J. Butt, London and numbered 3788.

Running well, and in good condition throughout. Just one very short section of the edging to the silver balance cock missing near the signature.

The lace edge decoration to the balance cock was a popular form of decoration for London makers, but only used for a short period between about 1750 and 1770.
DIAL : A fine white enamel dial, in good condition with just a few surface scratches and some flakes around the opening catch, on the edge at 6.

Good blued steel 18thc. Beetle and poker hands. The minute hand is a little short so may be a replacement.

INNER CASE : Silver, with hallmarks for London, 1762, maker’s mark WT under a coronet.

In good overall condition. The hinge is fine and the bezel snaps shut correctly. The high dome crystal is also fine. The bow and stem are probably original, though the stem is a little worn and has been reattached to the case. There appears to be an old repair to the inside of the bezel at the hinge but this is not visible from the front.

OUTER CASE : A silver pair case, with hallmarks and maker’s mark matching the inner.

In very good condition. The hinge and catch are complete and the case snaps shut. However the catch button has worn right down.

The case maker is William Thomas of Garlick Hill, London.

The outer case contains some interesting American watchpapers, dating between 1825 and 1845. These are from watchmakers in Salem and Newburyport, Massachusetts.