Very fine English quarter repeating verge watch Circa 1715

Gold quarter repeater by Daniel Quare, London
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A very fine English pair cased quarter repeating verge watch, circa 1715, fire gilt full plate movement, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance, decoratively pierced and engraved balance cock, diamond end-stone, fusee and chain, turned pillars, two hammers repeating on a bell to the inside of the case, gilt metal dust cap, gold champlevé dial, Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute track, blued steel poker and tulip hands, the inner case with band decoratively pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage inhabited by animals, a grotesque mask at the base, plunge pendant, pulse piece between 6 and 7 o’clock, gold outer case with decorative pierced roundels of varying sizes to the band and bezel, movement, dial and dust cap signed D. Quare, London, inner case with maker’s mark WI for William Jaques, outer case with maker’s mark IL possibly for John Lowe, Laing or John Lee
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: D. Quare London
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Few if any of Quare’s later repeating watches are hallmarked. However, using the serial numbers listed by  G. H. Baillie, one can deduce that this watch was made around 1715. The inner case is of especially high quality and typical of the work of the maker William Jaques whose mark is struck three times to the inside.

Daniel Quare 1649-1724 was born in Somerset. A highly esteemed watchmaker of his day, Quare was admitted to the Clockmakers’ Company in 1671 and became Master in 1708. In 1680 he invented a type of repeating work for watches. In 1718 he went into partnership with Stephen Horseman, after which their work was signed ‘Quare & Horseman’. Known watches signed by Quare have numbers 233 to 4989. Repeating watches had a separate series known from 109 to 857.