English rare and extremely fine silver verge watch Circa 1704

Rare and extremely fine silver verge watch
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An English rare and extremely fine silver pair cased verge watch, circa 1704, gilded full plate movement, verge escapement, pierced and engraved balance cock decorated with scrolling foliage and a bird with outstretched wings, a winged mask to the base, flat steel three-arm balance with spring, fusee and chain, Egyptian pillars, signed T. Tompion, E. Banger, London.
Silver champlevé dial, Roman numerals with half hour divisions between and to the ring beneath, outer Arabic minute ring, blued steel tulip and poker hands, outer gilded ring, cartouches to the dial centre, the upper having putti holding garlands of flowers, signed Tompion, Banger, London.
Plain silver inner case, split bezel for glass retention, the back with shuttered winding aperture, stirrup bow and pendant • plain outer case with square hinge, the bezel with inner chamfer, both cases with maker’s mark WS with coronet above for William Sherwood senior.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Signed: T. Tompion E. Banger London
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Towards the end of the 17^th century, Tompion was employing several apprentices, the most famous of whom was Edward Banger who had been ‘turned over’ to Tompion from Joseph Ashby in 1687. Banger married Tompion’s niece Margaret Kent in 1694 and became Free of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1695. He formed a partnership with Tompion in 1701 and the clocks and watches made during this partnership are amongst the finest produced by the workshop, with great attention to detail and fine finishing. Some years later a serious quarrel appears to have taken place and after about 1708, Tompion and Banger ceased to collaborate. Whatever the reason, Tompion must have felt strongly about it as the clocks signed Tompion and Banger that remained unfinished in the workshop had the name Banger erased from the dials before they were sold.