Early Sheffield Pocket Watch

An attractive silver gilt verge in silver pair cases. It is very rare to find such an early watch from Sheffield.

MOVEMENT : Gilt verge movement, with engraved and pierced winged balance cock, featuring a mask on the neck and birds with scrolls at the top. Four square pillars.

Signed Abra. Torn SHEFFIELD

In very good condition and running well.

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

In very good condition throughout.

Good early 18thc. blued steel beetle and poker hands.

INNER CASE : Silver gilt, with a rubbed maker’s mark and year mark for London 1739.

In reasonable condition, though the gilding has worn off the outer surfaces (a few traces left), but is still present on the inside. The bow and stem are later replacements. There is some compression to the silver band and a few small dents. The hinge is complete and bezel snaps shut correctly. The high dome bull’s eye crystal is fine.

OUTER CASE : Silver, with maker’s mark PZ?. The year mark for London 1739 matches the inner.

In quite good condition throughout with just a few small dents and some wear around the neck. The hinge and catch are fine and the case closes correctly.

This outer case contains a nice collection of Sheffield (one from Rotherham) watch papers. One of these is dated 1803 and anoth 17?93.

The watch also comes complete with a good early steel and leather chain, with clip and winding key.

Abraham Torn is recorded as having reported a lost watch in 1749.