English gold quarter repeating watch by Tompion Circa 1693

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Kenmerk
FB0057
Diameter
44 mm
Estimate
€ 12.500 - 20.000
Price sold
€ 16.500

Gold pair cased quarter repeating repousse verge by Thomas Tompion
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An English fine gold pair cased quarter repeating repousse verge watch, circa 1693/1730, fire gilded full plate movement, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance with underslung balance spring, decoratively pierced and engraved winged balance cock, baluster and Egyptian pillars, fusee and chain, polished hammers striking on a bell.
Later white enamel, black Roman numerals, black outer minute track with Arabic numeral five-minute markers, later gilt decorative hands.
Gold inner case, finely engraved and pierced inner case depicting flora, fauna and birds with very unusual regulator segment to reverse, inner ring, bell secured by 1 screw, pierced outer repoussé case depicting the Judgement of Hercules. Signed inner case stamped WI for William Jaques, movement signed on top plate, numbered on dial plate.
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Diameter: 44 mm
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Signed: Thomas Tompion London
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Thomas Tompion is commonly referred to as the father of English clockmaking. His workshops were renowned and he had patrons in the highest levels of English society and with good reason. He has created some of the greatest clocks in the world and was one of the first to use balance springs in watches. He famously employed George Graham who married his niece and succeeded him in the company.
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The current example is hallmarked for London 1693 with a makers mark for William Jaques who also made for Daniel Quare and is mentioned in Philip Priestley’s Early Watch Casemakers. The watch is numbered on the dial plate, under the contrate wheel, under the bell and by the pendant.
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Tompion made a feature of the regulator bringing it through the back of the case with a finely engraved surround to the sector aperture and a female square that fits to the regulator when the movement is closed into the case. This is a rare and early feature and is mentioned in the book Thomas Tompion, 300 years.
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The dial and outer repoussé case were likely to have been put to the watch in the late 1730s and may have been provided by George Graham as he was producing similar watches at that time and would have had contact with Tompions clients. This would have been an update to bring the very fine watch back to the vogue of Rococo.

Signed: Thomas Tompion London

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