Maurice Smith, Royal Exchange London

Estimate

8,000 - 12,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

A RARE AND UNUSUAL GILT METAL AND SILVER PAIR CASED VERGE WATCH WITH CONCEALED APERTURES FOR DIGITAL TIME DISPLAYNO. 492, CIRCA 1725
gilt metal and silver, shagreen outer
diameter 54.5 mm

• gilt full plate movement, verge escapement, decoratively pierced and engraved winged masked balance cock, flat three-arm brass balance, baluster pillars, fusee and chain • silver dial engraved with scrolling foliage inhabited by birds and dolphin heads, two large apertures with blued steel covers for revealing (on depression of the pendant) the hours and minutes on discs • plain gilt-metal inner case, outer shagreen covered protective case, inner case numbered 492 • movement signed Maurice Smith, Royal Exchange London, 492

Provenance

Antiquorum Geneva, The Sandberg Collection, 31st and 1st March - April 2001, lot 232

Literature

Terence Camerer Cuss, The English Watch 1585-1970, p. 158, pl. 84

Catalogue Note

The highly unusual dial arrangement of this watch comprises two shuttered apertures which lower, upon depression of the pendant, to reveal the time. The shutters reveal hour indication to the upper aperture and minutes to the lower, the numerals appearing on discs which turn with the motion of the movement. A similar watch signed "Busman London” was formerly in the Time Museum, later sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 19th June 2002, lot 17. A further example signed by John Bushman is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Maurice Smith was born c.1680 and apprenticed in September 1693 to Robert Webster. He was a Freeman of the Clockmakers’ Company in July 1702.