English silver pair cased verge watch by Tompion Circa 1710

Silver verge in pair cases by Thomas Tompion
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An English silver pair cased verge pocket watch, circa 1710. Gilt full plate fusée verge movement, winged balance cock pierced and engraved with foliate scrolls and mask, large Egyptian pillars, silvered regulation, steel three-armed balance. Silver champlevé dial with Roman hours and Arabic minutes, steel beetle and poker hands. Plain outer case, punched WS for William Sherwood. Dial signed, case numbered, movement signed and numbered.
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Signed: Tompion London
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This piece was sold at Christie’s Salerooms in London, Wednesday, April 19th, 1978 for a hammer price of £ 85.00. The watch is listed in Jeremy Evans’, ‘The Dial and Three Crowns’.
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Thomas Tompion, one of the most celebrated English watchmakers, was born at Ickwell Green in Bedfordshire in 1639. He originally trained as a blacksmith, eventually transitioning to clock and watchmaking. He became a celebrated and prolific maker, with numerous noble patrons, but the fact that so many of his watches survive is a testament to the undiminished quality of his work.