Early Scottish verge pocket watch

Early Scottish verge in silver pair cases

MOVEMENT : Gilt verge movement, with beautifully engraved and pierced winged balance cock, featuring a mask on the neck and scrolls above. Four crested tulip pillars.

Signed THO. GORDON, EDINBURGH and numbered 565.

In good condition, and running.

DIAL : Fine silver champleve dial, with signed central disk .

In very good condition throughout. Blued steel beetle and poker hands.

INNER CASE : Silver, with rubbed maker’s mark CW under a crown.

In good condition, though the bow (and possibly stem) is a later replacement. One small section of silver missing to the inner rim at about 7. The hinge is missing one sleeve from the movement side, though the movement is held firmly. The high dome crystal is also good.

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

There is a substantial repair to the top shoulder of the back, where solder has been used to fill some damage. The neck also shows some wear. There are some other light bruises, but the hinge, catch button and catch are fine and the case closes correctly.

The cases are almost certainly a pair, from the same maker, but the movement is just a little small for the inner case (about 0.5 mm.) and slightly loose in the case, so the cases may be replacements, although of the same period as the watch.

Thomas Gordon was apprenticed to Andrew Brown of Edinburgh in 1688 and free from 1703. He died in 1743. This watch dates from about 1710.

The case maker’s mark is probably for Cuthbert Weaver and Clay Whitton of Eagle Court, Strand, London.