Rare English verge watch with digital time display Circa 1725

Gilt pair cased digital watch
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A rare and unusual English gilt metal and silver pair cased verge pocket watch with concealed apertures for digital time display, circa 1725. Fire gilt full plate movement with a verge escapement, decoratively pierced and engraved, winged and masked balance cock, flat three arm brass balance, baluster pillars, fusee and chain. The highly unusual silver dial is engraved with scrolling foliage inhabited by birds and dolphin heads and has two large apertures with blued steel shutters for revealing the hours and minutes by pressing the pendant, 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 plain gilt metal inner case and an outer shagreen covered protective case.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Signed: Maurice Smith Royal Exchange London
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A similar watch signed “Busman London” was formerly in the Time Museum and was later sold at Sotheby’s, New York. A further example signed by John Bushman is in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
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Maurice Smith was born circa 1680. He apprenticed to Robert Webster in September 1693. Smith was a Freeman of the Clockmakers’ Company in July 1702.