Rare English silver oval verge puritan pocket watch Circa 1640-1650

Rare silver oval verge watch by Robert Grinkin
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An English silver oval verge puritan pocket watch, circa 1640-1650
Gilded brass and steel, partly blued full plate movement, pinned on pierced and florally engraved balance cock, plain flat steel balance, wheel and click set-up, gut line fusee, vase shaped pillars, signed Robert Grinkin / Londini. This watch’s plain silver dial and blued steel hand display their maker’s fine sense of design. The engraved chapter ring registers hours and quarters, probably approaching the limits of precision in a watch of this type. The glass cover may have been made to emphasize these features, perhaps at the same time when the present pendant and finial were added. Plain oval silver case, the back with shuttered winding aperture, glazed cover with silver frame.
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Dimensions: 38 x 32 mm
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Signed: Robert Grinkin Londini
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Robert Grinkin, English watchmaker
Robert Grinkin the Younger was the son of Robert Grinkin Senior and brother of Edmund Grinkin. He was probably baptized on October 2, 1605, at Saint Martin In The Fields, Westminster, London, England. On his father’s death in 1626, Robert Jr. his father’s tools and books. Robert became a member of the Blacksmiths’ Guild but was acquitted of the Clockmakers Company in 1632. He carried on his father’s business in Fleet Street. He became “Assistant” of the Company in 1637, “Junior Warden” in 1640, “Renter Warden” from 1641 to 16433, “Senior Warden” in 1645 and “Master” in 1648, 1649 and 1654. In April 1658, it was decided that the Clockmakers Company would move the money chest from Edward East’s house to Robert Grinkin’s house on Fleet Street. But this money chest was too big and could not reach through the door.
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Robert Grinkin died in 1661; his will not only named family members but also “very good friends” like John Benson, John Nicasius, Henry Dorsett, John Bayes, Jeremy Gregory and William Rogers.
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Many of both Grinkin’s works are now in important collections and museums such as the Frick Collection, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
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Puritanism was a religious movement that emerged in England in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritans were Protestants who believed that the Anglican Church had not gone far enough in reforming its practices and purifying the church of “Catholic” practices and traditions. Puritans sought a pure, Bible based church and emphasized personal holiness, morality, and discipline. They opposed many forms of entertainment, such as theatre, dancing, and sports, and advocated for a simple lifestyle and strict adherence to biblical precepts. The Puritan movement significantly influenced the development of English society and culture.