Rare English silver pocket watch with mock pendulum Circa 1700

Pocket watch with unusual case
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A very rare pocket watch with mock pendulum, made by Peter Garon in London, England, circa 1700. The unusual open faced case (bezel altered and not original) of this watch is crafted from silver and has a back lid with special quality repoussé decoration work. The original champlevé dial with off center time display has Arabic five minute numerals and Roman hour numerals, a window to show the mock pendulum and brass hands (black lacquered). The movement has a highly interesting, very early, English verge escapement, a very narrow and steep fusee, tulip pillars, an unusual construction with full plate on the back and is splendidly engraved.
Dial and movement are signed.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Weight: 103 g
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Signed: Garon, London
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Peter Garon
Peter Garon was apprenticed in 1687 to Richard Baker and was a member of the Clockmakers’ Company from 1694 to 1723.

Peter Garon was born circa 1673 to Hugenot parentage and apprenticed to Richard Baker until 1694. Brian Loomes in his book, The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain, notes that Garon was initially refused freedom of the Clockmakers’ Company as he was deemed an ‘alien’, but was later granted freedom of the City by the Lord Mayor and finally made a Freeman of the Clockmakers’ Company in August 1694. Garon appears to have worked at St. Bartholomew’s Lane End and later at St. Giles Cripplegate [op. cit. pp. 243-244]. F.J . Britten notes that Garon was declared bankrupt in the London Gazette of 1706 but he continued to work and his son, also called Peter, was apprenticed to him in 1713. Garon’s career finally ended in insolvency in 1723.