Cogs and Pieces

Description

Samuel Mather
Kingston, London, c1700
Silver & tortoiseshell pair cases, 50 mm.
Verge escapement

An early London verge, in a wonderful tortoiseshell case, inlaid with silver.

MOVEMENT : Gilt verge movement, with a large and beautifully engraved and pierced balance cock, showing foliage above a mask. The wide ‘D’ shape of the foot is typical of the period. Silver regulator disk and four square baluster pillars.

Signed “Sam. Mather, KINGSTON”.

In good condition and running well.

DIAL : Fine silver champleve dial, signed as the movement.

In good condition with just a little wear to the gilt rim at the catch at 6.

Good early 18th century blued steel beetle and poker hands.

INNER CASE : A plain silver case, with rubbed maker’s mark IB below a coronet

All in good condition. The high dome crystal is fine and the bezel snaps shut correctly.

OUTER CASE : Brass base with silver rims and a tortoiseshell covering. The shell is inlaid in silver with birds and tulips, surrounded by decorative pin work.

The shell is in very good original condition, with a wonderful colour. There are no pieces missing or restoration. The silver inlay is also virtually complete with no pins missing and just a couple of tiny strips of silver missing from the foliage.

The hinge, catch and catch button are fine and the bezel snaps shut correctly.

Samuel Mather in listed in London, in the Clockmakers’ Company from 1691 to 1712 and also a member of the Haberdashers’ Company.

The case maker is probably John Banbury, whose mark was an incuse IB below a coronet. There are examples of his watch cases hallmarked between 1697 and 1705.

NB. If you are outside the E.U. you must have a CITES certificate in order to import this item, which contains tortoiseshell. We can obtain this on your behalf at a cost of £50 (allow up to 14 working days).
Due to the strict exporting rules of CITES listed materials, there may also be further shipping costs.
Free worldwide postage.
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