Silver & tortoise-shell pair-cased verge watch with date indicator [inner case not original]

Description — British Museum

Movement frame: Circular gilt-brass plates with four baluster pillars. A potence-hole in the pillar-plate. Riveted potence and riveted counter-potence. Engraved decoration around the verge aperture. The perimeter of the pillar-plate engraved with a rope-twist border. Mainspring & set-up: Gilt-brass barrel with snap-in cap and riveted brass hook. There is also a square hole for hooking which is not presently used. Ratchet and click set-up mounted on the dial side of the pillar-plate. Fusee & stop-work: Gilt-brass fusee for chain [now with gut-line] and with English stop-work. Train: Four-wheel train of gilt-brass wheels, the second, third and contrate with three crossings. Escapement & balance: Verge escapement, the balance, balance-spring, regulation and balance-cock all replaced. Motion work: Pinion of report: 30 Dial wheel: 40 - pinion: 4 Day of week wheel: 56 - pinion: 14 Calendar wheel: 62 Lunar wheel: 59. Dial & hands: Gilt-brass dial plate with a pinned-on silver champlevé dial. Around the outside, a circle engraved with the days of the week with their planetary signs. The lower subsidiary chapter-ring with Roman hours I-XII surrounding half-hour circle. In the centre an engraved rosette. To the left, the subsidiary dial is engraved 1-31 for the date. To the right, the subsidiary dial is engraved 1-29.5 around the outside for the age of the moon, with a revolving silver disc in the middle which has an aperture to show the moon's age engraved on a gilt-brass disc below. The spandrel spaces are engraved with foliate scrolls and putti, the one at the top holding a banner/flag. None of the hands are original. Cases: Later plain silver inner case with a tortoise-shell outer with silver rims and silver piqué decoration consisting of a central geometric design surrounded by four coronets.

Curator's comments — British Museum

This watch has been re-cased in the late 17th century when it was also furnished with its balance spring, geared regulation and balance-cock. There is no record of a watchmaker with the name Willing. The very long winding square was probably added when the new case was fitted. Although inscribed 'London' on the regulator plate, the work is much more likely to have been done in Germany.