English silver enamel pair cased verge pocket watch Circa 1710

Silver watch in double-case by Thomas Windmills
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An early, particularly large English double-cased verge pocket watch with polychrome enamel painted portrait, circa 1710.
Gilt verge movement, balance cock and foot, chain fusée. Signed champlevé dial, Roman radial hours, outer minute track with Arabic five minutes numerals, and blue steel single hand. Polished plain inner case and the outer case with polychrome enamel painted portrait. The dial is signed: Windmills / London and the movement is signed: Tho. Windmills / London.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Signed: Tho Windmills, London
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The outer case has two punched marks inside the bezel: a lion passant, which is the English quality mark for sterling, and the London date letter for 1895. The inner case also has a lion passant and the mark of the London assay office in the form of a leopard’s head, the London date letter for 1895, and the initials JW, which are the case maker’s marks. The movement has several markings, including the number 2434 on the pillar plate, I T 2434 on the underside of the backplate, and Nwborgh scratched on the dial plate.
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Thomas Windmills, English watchmaker
Thomas Windmills was the son of Joseph Windmills and Matilda Trulove. He was trained as a clockmaker from 1686 and acquitted by the Clockmakers Company in 1695. He was a master from 1719 to 1732. Thomas took over his father’s business and worked with four partners at various times until he died in 1737. Around 1720 he worked with Thomas Bennet in the Windmills & Bennet firm. Thomas Bennet was trained as a watchmaker at Windmills. Thomas Windmills had no children and was the last male line of the Windmills.