Description
A rare late 17th Century English verge, silver champleve dial with blue steel regulator disc in silver pair cases. Deep full plate fire gilt movement with Egyptian pillars. Fusee and chain with worm and wheel barrel setup between the plates. Unusual large pierced and engraved bridge cock depicting drums and flags. The finely chased and engraved parcel gilt silver cartouche at its centre bears a portrait of the future Queen Anne. Winding through the cock and four arm plain steel balance. Pierced and engraved plate retaining the regulator slide which is adjusted by the gilt and blue steel disc set below the numeral “XII” on the dial. The two are connected by a shaft running through the hollow barrel arbor. Signed silver champleve dial. Roman and Arabic numerals, fine blue steel beetle and poker hands. Matching silver pair cases, split bezel silver pendant and bow square hinge to the outer case. Maker's mark IB” below a crown and number corresponding to that on the movement.
A rare watch in very fine condition. David Lestourgeon, London 1681, free of the clockmakers Company 1698 – 1731, a fine maker. A copy of his will, which lists him as “Watch Maker and Innholder of Finch Lane , City of London” accompanies the watch and can be viewed at the National Archives in Kew. The use of the bridge cock influenced by his French origin. His father, also David, was a Huguenot who moved from Rouen to London in 1680. Several watches known a number of which have royal connections. Two interesting examples with mock pendulum dials by Lestourgeon are in the Museum of London and the British Museum. The watch in the Museum of London has a bust of William III, the date of his death (8th March 1702) and a skull and cross bones above the letter W on the back of the movement. The watch in the British Museum (Ref No. 1958,1201.6161958,1201.616) is illustrated in Brittens, the backplate bearing a portrait of Queen Anne flanked by Orb and Crown and below the inscription “Regn incip 8 mart 1702”. This case of this watch is by the same maker and also bears the number, 5488, significantly higher than this example. Casemaker, John Banbury, his mark appearing on the 1682 plate, also worked for Knibb, Tompion and Massy.
