12,650 CHF
Christopher Gould Fecit, circa 1650. Rare and fine small oval silver 'Puritan' verge watch. Two-body, plain, polished silver, closed cover. Loose-ring pendant. Oval, located by four lugs, engraved chapter-ring with Roman numerals, hall and quarter hour marks. Single blued-steel hand. Oval gilt-brass plates, early Egyptian pillars, fusee with gut line, short train, plain twoarm steel balance without spring. Irregular pattern oval cock pierced with foliage. Matching worm and wheel set-up brackets(most unusual to be in gilt brass rather than blued-steel),silver indicating disk. Signed on the backplate. In very good condition. Notes Note: The sobriquet "Puritan" has always been applied to the absolutely plain watches made in England during the second quarter of the 17th. century. Following the execution of Charles I in 1649, Britain was ruled by Oliver Cromwell under the title of Protector. Puritanism was the ethos of the day with any ostentatious display of wealth being greatly frowned upon. In fact, the plain 'puritan'style was introduced circa 1640, as a result of the drain upon the finances of the Court and aristocracy caused by the costs of supporting the King in the civil war. It is well recorded that much jewellery and objects of precious metal were scrapped to realise funds; a plain silver cased watch would therefore have represented a much cheaper alternative, and be more in keeping with the austerity of the time.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1995-10-21
