German pair cased verge watch with sun and moon dial Circa 1720

Silver verge in pair cases by Octavy Johann Dennicken
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A silver German pair cased sun and moon verge watch, circa 1720. The watch features a gilded full plate movement with a verge escapement and a silver balance cock intricately decorated with three birds carrying a tortoise. The broad cock foot is engraved with scrolling foliage and the plain brass pillars are each mounted with a pierced and engraved eagle holding different attributes such as a sword and an anchor. It also includes a silver regulation disc, fusee, and chain and is signed Octa. Joh. Dennicken, Konigsberg. The silver champlevé dial has a large aperture with a rotating disc divided into day and night. The hours are indicated on an outer semi circular chapter ring with Roman numerals highlighted with black wax. Day time hours are marked by a golden sun with a pointer, while night hours are indicated by a silver moon with a pointer surrounded by silver stars, set against a blued steel sky. The dial also features an outer Arabic minute ring and a single steel hand. The lower half of the dial includes two eagles supporting banners signed Octav. Joh. Dennicken, Konigsbrg.
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The watch has two cases: an inner case made of plain silver with a silver pendant, a split bezel for glass retention, a later bow, a shuttered winding aperture to the back and a case maker’s mark A H incused beneath a crown. The outer case is covered with tortoiseshell and adorned with silver piqué work depicting a stylized flower at the centre and four coronets at the edge. The front bezel is decorated with further pinwork and a plain pendant.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Signed: Octa. Joh. Dennicken, Konigsberg
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The dial has light scuffs and scratches, tarnished with some losses to the black wax infill of the numerals and tracks. The blued steel has darkened with age. The inner case shows denting throughout the surface, while the outer case has multiple chips, cracks and losses to the tortoiseshell, as well as a few losses to the silver pin decoration.  The movement has scratches and wear to the surfaces.
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By the beginning of the 18th century, the standard dial configuration with concentric hour and minute hands had become universal. However, there were some unusual dial designs devised during this period, including the six hour dial, the wandering hour dial, the differential dial, and the sun- and moon dial. On the present watch, the sun and moon point to the hours as they move across the large semi circular aperture, while minutes are indicated by the single hand on the outer ring.