Gold English pair cased verge watch in leather case Circa 1682

Gold pair cased verge watch by Thomas Tompion
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A fine gold English keywind pair cased verge watch in leather case, circa 1682-1683.
This extraordinary watch has a remarkably early stop mechanism that can be activated at will in order to measure short intervals of time. The gilded full plate movement boasts a verge escapement, a decorative floral engraved balance cock and foot, and a steel three-arm balance with an early hairspring. The silver regulator plate, mainspring set-up between the plates, fusee and chain, and tulip pillars further attest to the watchmaker’s skill and attention to detail. The gold dial is equally impressive, featuring Roman radial hours and an outer minute track with Arabic five minutes numerals. A subsidiary dial for the seconds and blued steel hands complete the dial’s functionality. The watch is housed in two cases: an outer case that is gold and leather-covered with gold studs and an inner case that is polished.
The back plate of the movement is engraved with the signature Tho. Tompion London, while the outer case features a monogram with gold studs and a coronet above it, possibly reading RWR or GWR. The inner case is stamped with ND above 175, likely indicating Nathanial Delander as the maker. Various markings can be found on the movement, including Tho. Tompion London engraved on the backplate, SC on the back of the dial plate, 175 punched on the pillar plate, 72 scratched on the back of the dial, and 1 1/4 scratched on the back of the clock.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Signed: Tho. Tompion London
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Thomas Tompion was born in 1639, was baptized on July 25^th, 1639 and died in 1713. He was an English clockmaker, watchmaker and mechanic who is still regarded to this day as the ‘Father of English Clockmaking’. His work includes some of the most historic and important clocks and watches in the world. Tompion was born as the son of a blacksmith at Ickwell Green, a hamlet in the parish of Northill, Bedfordshire. It seems that he was trained, with his younger brother James, in the art of blacksmithing. Very little is known of Tompion’s early life, but he was likely involved at some point in the repair of the local church clock as this was usually blacksmith’s work. Perhaps he developed his passion for horology from this. There is no record of Thomas Tompion serving as an apprentice in a clockmaker’s workshop, but on September 4th, 1671, he was admitted to the Clockmakers’ Company, and he became a master in 1704. In 1674 Tompion was introduced to Robert Hooke, the most important English experimental physicist of the 17th century. The following year, 1675, Hooke employed Tompion to make a watch with a special double spring on the balance. On April 7th, Hooke, accompanied by Tompion and Sir Jonas Moore, went to Whitehall Palace and showed the watch to King Charles II. The King was so impressed that he ordered a watch from Tompion for his own use. Tompion employed several apprentices, most notably Edward Banger, who married Tompion’s niece in 1694 and became free of the Clockmakers’ Company in 1695. He formed a partnership with Tompion in 1701, but some years later, a serious quarrel appeared to have taken place, and after about 1708, they ceased to collaborate. The cause of the quarrel is not known but could possibly have been the result of rivalry between Banger and George Graham. The latter had worked as a journeyman at Tompion’sn’s workshop since 1696 and had married another of his nieces. He was taken into partnership by Tompion in 1710 and succeeded the business after Tompion’sn’s death in November 1713. Tompion was buried in Westminster Abbey, indicating the high esteem he held during his lifetime.