Early Bristol pocket watch

A Bristol verge watch, in silver pair cases, with unusual silver balance cock.

MOVEMENT : Gilt verge movement, with very well engraved and pierced silver winged balance cock, featuring a mask on the neck, foliage and scrolls. Four square pillars. The balance cock table is stabalided by a bracket at 2 (a feature sometimes seen in London watches).

Signed Jno. Jordan, BRISTOL.

In very good condition and running well.

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

In very good condition throughout, with just a few areas with the black infill missing. 18thc. blued steel beetle and poker hands (good quality replacements).

INNER CASE : Silver, with rubbed hallmarks for London, 1731, maker’s mark SL.

In good condition throughout. The hinge is complete and bezel snaps shut correctly. The high dome bull’s eye crystal is fine.

OUTER CASE : Silver, again with a rubbed hallmarks, but matches the inner.

Again, in very good condition throughout with just a very small dent to the catch button and some tiny dents. The hinge and catch are fine and the case closes correctly.

John Jordan was born in Bristol in around 1695. He was working in London in 1716 and when free of the Clockmakers’ Company he worked in Bristol from 1718. He died in 1764.