German silver repoussé repeating coach watch Circa 1750

Large silver verge watch with date attributed to Josef Spiegel
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A large German silver repoussé quarter striking and repeating coach watch with date, circa 1750. The watch features a gilt full plate movement with a verge escapement, a pierced balance cock decoratively engraved with foliage and a grotesque mask at the neck, a silver regulation plate, four trains for the alarm, repeater, strike, and time, four hammers striking on nesting bell, interior bezel and barrels with decorative engraving, stylized lyre-form pillars, fusee and chain, and it bears the signature Miroir, London and. The silver champlevé dial features Roman numerals, an outer arcaded Arabic minute ring, a central alarm indicator disc, an aperture for the date above 12 o’clock, blued steel beetle and poker hands, and a setting square for the alarm disc above 6 o’clock.
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The silver case features a back with a repoussé chased and engraved scene depicting the Arts and Trades with Mercury, surrounded by shell and scrollwork borders. It also includes four apertures in the centre for winding the separate trains, as well as bezels that are pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage and shell motifs. Additionally, there is an aperture to the bezel between 6 and 7 o’clock for the pull repeat.
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Diameter: 115 mm
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Signed: Miroir London
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Light scuffs are present throughout the dial, with areas of rust on the hands. The case shows heavy tarnishing, worn repousse, and loss of detail in the high-relief areas. The movement is complete, running, and striking. The pull repeat is working correctly, but the full strike is working intermittently. It would benefit from a clean and service.
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Joseph Spiegel, a German watchmaker from Arnach near Memmingen in the county of Wolfsegg in Swabia, was trained as a journeyman watchmaker. On June 9, 1736, he applied for citizenship in Friedberg and married Maria Anna Möll (or Mahl) on July 9, 1736, with the witnesses being the Friedberg watchmakers Johannes Heckel, Conradus Heckel, and Jacobus Strixner. Their son Johann Sebastian was born in 1737 with the watchmaker Sebastian Petz as his godfather. Instead of signing his watches with “Spiegel,” he used the name “Legeips” spelt backwards or “Mirroir” in French. His work can be found in various locations including Augsburg, London, and Paris, and is known for producing carriage and pocket watches, along with the hexagonal table clock. This particular hexagonal table clock with a fire-gilded brass casing was part of the collection of Horst Landrock and his son Dieter.
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Joseph Spiegel passed away on March 18, 1760, in Friedberg. His watches are now displayed in renowned museums and collections worldwide.