Oval Gilt-Brass Cased Verge Clock-Watch

Description — British Museum

Oval Gilt-Brass Cased Verge Clock-Watch. Case: Gilt-brass case with integral front and hinged back. The band consists of upper and lower mouldings bordering a large central bombé section. The middle of the hinged back is pierced and engraved with realistic flowers within a wheatear border. The integral front has the dial pinned to it and on the outside there is a hinged, glazed bezel, the glass retained by lugs. Gilt-brass pendant and finial. On the front of the case between VI and VII o'clock is a heart-shaped hole which reveals the position of the count-wheel. Screwed inside the back is a shallow bell. The movement enters the case from the rear and is retained by two key-operated turn-latches Dial & Hand: Silver dial, the engraved chapter-ring Roman hours I-XII between an outer ring and and inner circle marked with lines at the hours. The dial centre is decorated with polychrome flowers enamelled en basse-taille. The blued-steel hand is not original. Movement Frame: Oval gilt-brass plates with four baluster pillars. A separate bridge on the pillar plate provides bearing for the dial wheel and the recessed second wheel and third pinion of the going-train. Riveted potence and screwed-on counter-potence. Mainspring & Set-Up: Gilt-brass barrel with dovetailed cap and riveted steel hook. ratchet and click set-up, with all steel components. Fusee & Stop-Work: Gilt-brass fusee with coarse-link chain and English stop-work. Going-Train: Four wheel train of gilt-brass wheels, the second wheel and third pinion recessed into the pillar-plate. Escapement & Balance: Verge escapement, the crown wheel now lacking its front pivot. Steel two-arm balance with ringed rim. Long straight balance-cock with a small foliate foot. The table is pierced by a log rectangular hole. Striking Train: Five wheel train terminating with a barrel pinion. Powered by a gilt-brass fixed barrel. Nag's head release without warning and with overlift. Count-wheel controls the plain brass count-wheel probably a replacement. The striking is set-off by a cam mounted on a pinion which is driven by an intermediate wheel in turn driven by a large wheel mounted beneath the pinion of report.

Curator's comments — British Museum

Clocks by J.B. Letter in the Adler Planetarium and in Milan, Sforza Castel?.