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Gilt & Enamel Pair Cased Pocket Watch, c. 1795 — view 1 of 6
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Pocket Watches · Pocket watch

Gilt & Enamel Pair Cased Pocket Watch, c. 1795

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Unrecorded in source
Date
c. 1795
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Pocket watch
Materials / technique
enamel, gilt
Stock no.
Product 6066
Credit line
Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 6066)
Catalogue title (original)
Gilt & Enamel Pair Cased Pocket Watch (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 6066), this is a pocket watch, dated c. 1795. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: enamel, gilt. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop

Introducing our latest innovation, a cutting-edge product designed to seamlessly integrate into your lifestyle while elevating your everyday experiences. This remarkable creation embodies the perfect blend of advanced technology, sleek design, and unparalleled functionality, making it an essential addition to any modern household. Crafted with precision and attention to detail, it boasts a user-friendly interface that ensures ease of use for individuals of all ages. The product is engineered to deliver exceptional performance, offering a range of features that cater to your diverse needs, whether for work, leisure, or personal development. Its durable construction guarantees longevity, while the elegant aesthetic adds a touch of sophistication to any setting. With sustainability at its core, this product is not only efficient but also environmentally friendly, aligning with your values and commitment to a greener planet. Experience the future of innovation today and discover how this extraordinary product can transform the way you live, work, and play. For sale is a stunning and unique large verge escapement watch with gilt and enamel pair cases. The movement features a high-quality gilt fusee movement with a verge escapement, engraved plate, pierced fan-shaped balance cock, blued screws, four round pillars, and a silver regulator disk. It is signed by Desbois & Wheeler of London and numbered 154. The watch is running well and in excellent condition. The dial is in good condition, with a white enamel background and gilt hands. There are just a couple of small flakes on the edge at 5 and 9, but overall, it is in great shape. The inner case is made of gilt brass and is marked with the maker’s initials WH. It is also in good condition, with minimal wear to the gilding and a fine hinge. The bezel shuts securely, though it does have a slight gap. The high dome bull’s eye crystal is clear with only a few light scratches. The original bow and stem are intact. The outer case is a gilt and enamel pair case, also marked with the maker’s initials. The enamel on the outer case features beautifully painted flowers on a pink and white background. It is in good condition, with only some rubbing around the catch button. The case snaps shut correctly. Desbois & Wheeler operated from Gray’s Inn Passage, London from 1790 onwards, and this watch was likely made between then and 1800. The soft enamel coating on the brass case adds an extra layer of attractiveness and uniqueness to this already stunning timepiece. Creator: Desbois & Wheeler Place of Origin: London Date of Manufacture: C1795 Gilt & enamel pair cases, 57.25 mm Verge escapement Condition: Good

Historical context

Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)

Harrison solves longitude; Mudge invents the lever; Breguet's Paris workshop defines the modern watch.

From 1750 to 1850 the watch became a precision instrument. Mudge's lever escapement, the cylinder escapement, Lépine's thin bar calibre, Breguet's innovations (overcoil, tourbillon, perpétuelle) and the pocket chronometer of Arnold and Earnshaw all date from this period, while verge watches remained common in cheaper production.

Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Early Modern Horology

Atlas type guide

Verge and pair-cased watches

After Christiaan Huygens and Robert Hooke applied the balance spring around 1675, the verge watch became a reasonably reliable timekeeper and the minute hand became standard. Through the eighteenth century the typical English watch was a pair-cased verge: a fusee movement with a pierced, engraved balance cock, housed in an inner case and a separate protective outer case, often of repoussé gold, shagreen, tortoiseshell or enamel.

French watches of the same period were thicker 'oignons', later replaced by elegant thinner watches following Jean-Antoine Lépine's bar-bridge calibre of c. 1770. Dutch, Swiss and German makers supplied international markets, and verge watches were made until the mid-nineteenth century as cheaper alternatives to the cylinder and lever.

What to look for

  • The pierced balance cock on the backplate: winged (continental) or with a foot (English); its style dates the watch.
  • Fusee and chain visible through the movement; key winding through the dial (early) or case back.
  • Hallmarks inside English silver or gold cases, which give a date letter.
  • Maker's name and serial number engraved on the backplate; watch papers inside outer cases.
  • Enamel dials (after c. 1720) versus earlier champlevé metal dials.

Dating clues

  • Champlevé dials: c. 1680–1730; white enamel dials thereafter.
  • English case hallmarks give the year of assay to within a year.
  • Verge watches persisted in cheap production until c. 1850.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Read next:Balance spring (hairspring)Verge escapement

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