English gold repoussé verge with jumping hour Circa 1690

Gold single handed jumping hour repoussé watch by John Bushman
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Early English 18 carat gold single handed repoussé verge watch with jumping hour ‘Abduction of Europe’, circa 1690. Extremely early verge movement, splendidly decorated, verge cock with pendulum, extraordinary pillars. Unique champlevé dial with Arabic numerals, aperture for the jumping hour and iron hand. Repoussé outer case attributed to Augsburg casemaker Augustin Heckel, plain inner case, London hallmarks, probably 1691. Signed and numbered movement.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Weight: 120 g
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Signed: John Bushman London
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This watch is probably the earliest known pocket watch with a jumping hour. The outer case is attributed to Augustin Heckel who was born in Augsburg like Bushman and was one of the best casemakers in London. His design of this scene, drawn with pencil and ink on paper, is deposited in the Victoria & Albert Museum and goes back to an etching by Gerard de Lairesse (1640 – 1711). Another case by Heckel with an identical scene and a movement by Thomas Windmills is exhibited in the British Museum. John Bushman (also Buschman or Buschmann) was born in Augsburg in 1661. In 1690 Johannes Bushman married the 23 year old Mary Wyatt in the Christ Church in London. In 1692 he became a brother in the London watchmakers’ guild. As far as is known Bushman worked until 1725. In literature he is regarded as famous as the watchmakers Daniel Quare or Thomas Tompion. With the number 398 it is one of his earliest still existing watches.