
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Silver repousse case Pocket Watch, 1789
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 1789
- Historical period
- Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- silver
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 5943
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 5943)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Silver repousse case 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 5943), this is a pocket watch, dated 1789. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: silver. 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
Step into the enchanting world of 18th-century horology with the exquisite Silver Repousse Case Pocket Watch from 1789, a remarkable testament to the artistry and craftsmanship of its era. This captivating timepiece, crafted in London and bearing the signature of the esteemed watchmaker J?. Woodford, is an embodiment of elegance and precision. Its silver pair case is adorned with intricate repousse work, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail that defines this mid-18th-century masterpiece. At the heart of the watch lies a gilt fusee movement, beautifully engraved and pierced, featuring a verge escapement and four square baluster pillars, all contributing to its mechanical allure. The balance bridge and plate are finely detailed, adding to the watch’s overall aesthetic appeal. The white enamel dial, in excellent condition with only minor scratches, is complemented by blued steel beetle and poker hands, enhancing the watch’s timeless elegance. The inner silver case, hallmarked for London in 1789 and bearing a maker’s mark that appears to be WB?, remains in reasonable condition, with minor bruises and a small chip on the bull’s eye crystal. Despite these minor imperfections, the hinge and bezel function flawlessly, ensuring the watch’s integrity. The outer silver repousse pair case, in excellent condition with minimal wear, features intricate designs and a functional hinge, catch button, and catch, suggesting the possibility of continental craftsmanship, perhaps from Switzerland or France. With a diameter of 51.5 mm and a verge escapement, this pocket watch is not only a functional timepiece but also a piece of history, reflecting the elegance and sophistication of its time. This mid 18th century London verge watch features a stunning silver pair case adorned with intricate repousse work. The gilt fusee movement is beautifully engraved and pierced, with a verge escapement and four square baluster pillars. The balance bridge and plate are also finely detailed. The watch is signed by J?. Woodford, London and numbered 11465. The white enamel dial is in excellent condition, with only some very light scratches. The blued steel beetle and poker hands add to the overall elegance of the timepiece. The inner case, made of silver, bears hallmarks for London, 1789, and a maker’s mark that appears to be WB?. It is in reasonable condition, with some minor bruises at the center of the back. The hinge is intact and the bezel closes properly. The bull’s eye crystal on the high dome is good, although it has a small chip near the edge at 6. The bow and stem are undamaged, though the stem has been reattached. The outer case is a silver repousse pair case, in excellent condition with minimal wear on the intricate designs. The hinge, catch button, and catch are all intact and functional. Despite being marked as LONDON, it is possible that this watch was made on the Continent, potentially in Switzerland or France. Creator: Woodford Place of Origin: London Date of Manufacture: 1789 Silver repousse pair cases, 51.5 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.
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