English pair cased eight day verge watch with six hour dial Circa 1700

Silver verge watch with a six hour dial by David Lestourgeon
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An English silver pair cased eight day verge watch with a six hour dial and tortoiseshell outer case, circa 1700. This rare watch has a gilded full plate movement with verge escapement and a decoratively pierced balance cock engraved with scrolling foliage and an urn at the centre. It also includes a silver regulation disc, crested Egyptian pillars, fusee and chain, and is signed by David Lestourgeon of London. The silver champlevé dial features Roman numerals for hours 1 to 6, with additional Arabic numerals calibrated to the centres for hours 7 to 12. The outer ring displays Arabic numerals 1-12, and there is an aperture for the date with a blued steel surround. The dial centre has a stippled ground and is adorned with chased and engraved scrolling banners. The hands are made of blued steel and the dial is signed Letvrgeon [sic] London. The watch has two cases. The inner case is plain silver and has a winding aperture at the back with a shutter. It also has a later stirrup form pendant and bow. The outer case is protective and has a tortoiseshell covering. The back and bezel of the outer case are secured with silver pins. The case maker’s mark JH indicates that it may have been made by John Harbert or John Higgs.
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Diameter outer case: 56 mm
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Diameter inner case: 47 mm
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Signed: Letourgeon, London
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David Lestourgeon became a Free Brother of the Clockmaker’s Company in 1698 and is believed to have worked until 1731. Research by Clive Ponsford into the wills of watch and clockmakers held at the National Archives revealed that Lestourgeon was both a Watchmaker and an Innholder.
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The dial has been previously refreshed and has some small scratches. The inner case shows depressions on the band as expected. The outer tortoiseshell case has a couple of hairline cracks. The movement is running accurately, but the hands are not advancing correctly. However, the date appears to be advancing correctly.