Gilt-brass and rock crystal cased verge watch in the form of a crucifix

Description — British Museum

Movement Frame: Cruciform gilt-brass plates with four baluster pillars. Engraved foliate decoration on the potence-plate. There is a separate bridge for the second wheel and contrate pinion. Mainspring & Set-Up: Brass barrel with dovetailed cap and riveted steel hook.… Tangent screw set-up with brass wheel, steel worm gear running in two cut steel foliate brackets. The indicator and silver index disc now missing. Fusee & Stop-Work: Gilt-brass fusee for gut line with English stop-work. The spring for the stop-iron is integral with it. Train: Three wheel train, the second wheel and contrate pinion recessed in to the pillar-plate and pivoting in a separate plate. Escapement & Balance: Verge escapement, the crown wheel runs between riveted potence and counter-potence, the former with engraved decoration on the visible side. Only the top part of the verge remains, the rest broken off and missing. Steel 2-arm balance. Pierced and engraved foliate balance cock screwed to the potence-plate. Dial: Gilt-brass dial plate pinned to the pillar-plate. Each part of the cross engraved with scrolling foliate decoration. Also, at the top a winged cherub's head, at the bottom a naked figure seated on a skull, and at each side, a profile head. Case: Cruciform case with gilt-brass rims to the band and hinged lid, engraved with foliate decoration. Faceted rock-crystal back now badly distressed with a large part missing. The hinged lid also has a faceted piece of rock crystal within the gilt-brass rim. Gilt-brass pendant with loose ring and gilt brass finial. Both the pendant and finial mounted on gilt-brass plates which were originally attached to the rock-crystal back.

Curator's comments — British Museum

Bibliography: Cardinal, Catherine, LA MONTRE, 1985, illus. 16, p.34. See Huygens Ouevre Vol.II Appendix. letter no.69 Constantine to Christian January 5th 1650. He had just bought a watch 'a la mode' with a case made from rock crystal that permitted a view of the movement such as one would see if the case was made of ice'. Such watches were exported both as complete pieces with movements signed by Genevan watchmakers and as empty cases for use by foreign watchmakers. Three crystal cases for clock watches were ordered in 1623 by Pierre Lourteau(active 1603-1628) a watchmaker in Lyon, France from the Genevan lapidary Paul Tillier. Clare Vincent and J.H.Leopold, European Clocks and Watches in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015, p.72.