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Silver Pair Cased Verge Pocket Watch, 1878 — view 1 of 4
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Pocket Watches · Pocket watch

Silver Pair Cased Verge Pocket Watch, 1878

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Unrecorded in source
Date
1878
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Pocket watch
Materials / technique
silver
Stock no.
Product 6270
Credit line
Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 6270)
Catalogue title (original)
Silver Pair Cased Verge 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 6270), this is a pocket watch, dated 1878. The Atlas places it in the Industrial Revolution period (1850 – 1900) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: silver. The record is illustrated with 4 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

Step back in time with the exquisite Silver Pair Cased Verge Pocket Watch from 1878, a remarkable testament to 19th-century English craftsmanship. This captivating timepiece is encased in a stunning silver half hunter pair of cases, exuding elegance and historical charm. At its heart lies a full plate fusee movement with round pillars, a feature that not only enhances its allure but also showcases the intricate artistry of its era. The watch’s round cock is beautifully pierced and engraved, while the plain three-arm steel balance is perfectly complemented by a polished steel regulator atop the plate. The time is elegantly displayed on a half hunter style white enamel dial, adorned with two concentric chapters of Roman numerals. The inner chapter, revealed only when the front cover is opened, adds an element of delightful surprise to this already enchanting piece. Gold half hunter hands grace the dial, adding a touch of sophistication. The matching silver pair cases are equally impressive, boasting a striking broad border on the front bezel and a small glazed aperture at the center. The silver pendant and bow further enhance the watch’s overall appeal. Bearing the maker’s mark “HWG” in conjoined circles and a corresponding number on the movement, this pocket watch is a testament to its exceptional quality and craftsmanship. Signed English and hallmarked in London, this watch, with its excellent condition, is not just a timepiece but a remarkable find for any collector or enthusiast of horological history. This is a stunning 19th-century English verge pocket watch housed in a beautiful silver half hunter pair of cases. The watch features a full plate fusee movement with round pillars, adding to its allure. The round cock is exquisitely pierced and engraved, while the plain three-arm steel balance is complemented by a polished steel regulator on top of the plate. The time is displayed on a half hunter style white enamel dial, with two concentric chapters of Roman numerals. The inner chapter is visible when the front cover is opened, adding an element of surprise to this already captivating timepiece. The gold half hunter hands add a touch of elegance to the dial. The matching silver pair cases are equally impressive, with a striking broad border on the front bezel and a small glazed aperture at the center. The silver pendant and bow enhance the overall appeal of this watch. The maker’s mark “HWG” in conjoined circles and the corresponding number on the movement are further indications of its quality and craftsmanship. With its excellent condition, this pocket watch is truly a remarkable find. Signed English Hallmarked London Date of Manufacture: 1878 Diameter: 56 mm Depth: 14 mm Condition: Good

Historical context

Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1900)

American interchangeable-parts manufacture; railroad time standards; Swiss and German factory systems.

Machine production with interchangeable parts, pioneered by Waltham (1850s) and adopted by Elgin, Longines, Omega and others, made reliable lever watches widely affordable. Keyless winding became standard, railroad watch standards were introduced (1890s), and Swiss and American industries competed globally.

Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Precision & Scientific 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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