Gilt-brass and silver cased verge watch in the form of a scallop shell

Description — British Museum

Movement frame: Shell-shaped gilt-brass plates with four baluster pillars. A potence-hole in the pillar-plate. Riveted potence with engraved decoration on the visible side. Riveted counter potence not original. A border of beading around the potence-plate. Engraved decoration around the verge aperture. Mainspring & set-up: Gilt-brass barrel, probably replacement, with snap-in cap and riveted steel hook. A single hole for line attachment. There is now no gilding on the barrel wall. All the components of the ratchet and click set-up have been replaced. Fusee & stop-work: Gilt-brass fusee for gut line and with standard stop-work. Train: Three wheel train, the gilt-brass wheels with three crossings. Escapement & balance: Verge escapement, the balance and verge replaced. The crown wheel possibly replaced. Pinned-on balance cock pierced and engraved with foliate scrolls. The rear part of the foot now missing. Motion work/duration: Pinion of report: 4 Dial wheel: 36 Turns on fusee: 11 Duration: 14.6 hours approx. Dial & hand: Shaped silver dial engraved around the outside with scrolling foliage. At the top a winged cherub's head and at the bottom, engraved fruits around the case catch. Applied gilt-brass chapter ring with Roman hours I-XII surrounding a half-hour circle. With the chapter ring the dial is engraved with a depiction of Christ and the Woman of Samaria ? Blued-steel hand not original. Case catch missing. : : CASE: Gilt-brass and silver case in the form of a scallop-shell. The gilt-brass band was originally covered with and applied silver band probably engraved with foliate scrolls etc. The band has since been gilded but the filed off rivets can still been seen either side of the pendant. Hinged silver lid and back with a fluted design of radiating beading. An engraved wreath on the inside of the lid and back. In the top of the band are four recesses for the lugs in the edge of the dial. Cast gilt-brass pendant with loose ring. Turned finial.

Curator's comments — British Museum

This watch is believed to have been formerly owned by Robert 8th Lord Seton, Earl of Winton, see below: "As far back as the year 1838, at the sale of the collection of antiquities formed by the well-known Dr. M'Cleish of Mary- field, in the rooms of Maclachlan and Stewart, South Bridge, Edinburgh, I purchased ' Lord Winton's watch,'… enclosed in two pretty silver scalloped shells, about the size of a half-crown piece, as shown in the illustration. On the face is engraved a figure of our Saviour, seated beside a female, perhaps intended to represent the woman of Samaria. The name of the maker is ' Jo. Willowe In Fleet Street.' I afterwards foolishly sold it to Mr. Robert Bryson, watchmaker, Edinburgh, who in his turn disposed of it to Mr. C. O. Morgan, M.P., by whom it was bequeathed, a few years ago, to the British Museum, along with a valuable and extensive collection of clocks and watches, in which, Mr. Morgan informed me, the Winton watch constituted an ' important link.' " Above excerpt from 'A history of the family of Seton during eight centuries' by George Seton, Advocate MA.Oxon, Volume I, Edinburgh, privately printed by T. and A. Constable, printers to her majesty. 1896. (LCT) For a very similar case see Nathan Rupp collection cat.no.111.