A rare silver pair-cased pocket… - The Norman Dean Collection of Important English and Continental Pocket Watches - Artvisory

Lot No.

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Description:

A rare silver pair-cased pocket watch, maker John May English Circa 1700 4.8 cm diameter, 5.5 cm high, 6 cm case diameter. A rare silver pair-cased pocket watch, maker John May. English Circa 1700. silver pair-cased watch, both inner and outer cases plain, both have the case-maker's mark "HR" for Richard Hutchinson (1699). Small stirrup bow, split bezel. Silver two-piece champleve dial, the centre with applied silver scroll work and cartouche. above a gilt field. Square date aperture below the centre, gilt beetle and poker hands. Signed "May" in a cartouche above the centre and "London" in a cartouche below. There is a gilt, engraved rim on the outside of the chapter ring. Gilt rosette touch pieces on the half hours between the Roman numerals. The movement has a verge escapement, fusee and chain drive. Winged, pierced engraved. balance cock, the table decorated with a foliate pattern and centred with a rosette, mask. near the foot. The foot is similarly patterned, as is the pierced and engraved fret surrounding the regulator dial. Egyptian pillars, ornate fusee stop. Signed on the backplate "John May London.". Reference: John May was a Dutchman who worked in London. He was made a brother of the Clockmakers Company in 1692 and Britten says he died in 1738. Watches by John May are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, movements by him are in Guildhall Museum and Science Museum South Kensington, and further watches are in the Dennison and Frill collections. A long-case clock by John May is illustrated in Clockmakers Company of London pl. XI. Provenance: Purchased by Norman Dean from Charles Allix in December 1972 for 300 pounds. Dimensions: 4.8 cm diameter, 5.5 cm high, 6 cm case diameter

Estimate:

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Category:

Horology (Clocks & watches): Watches - Pocket & Fob