18th Century Gold Verge Watch with Repousse Case

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A Sam Northcote 18ct gold repousse verge pair cased watch, the gilt metal plate movement with finely pierced and engraved balance cock, silver regulation, square baluster pillars, movement signed 'Sam Northcote, Plymouth'. The gold champleve dial with black enamel Roman numerals and a five minute chapter ring, signed 'Northcote', blued steel hands. The gold inner case hallmarked London 1764, maker Richard Palmer I, the outer gilt metal case with repousse decoration in high relief of a classical scene of a seated emperor receiving gifts, together with an associated 18th century shagreen protective case decorated with gold pin work. circa 1764. Diameter of the pair case: 50 mm, diameter of the protective case: 57 mm. Provenance: The collection of Dr Trevor Hyde, Sydney. Condition: on the back of the outer case there are approximately 12 of the gold decorative studs missing, the overall condition is good consistent with the age and no obvious signs of repair. The repousse case is in good condition, rubbing to the thumb piece with minor losses and general surface scratching consistent with age. The watch case is in good condition with no visible signs of repair or damage.

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Embossed / Repousse - Embossing, also known as repousse, is the technique of decorating metal with raised designs, by pressing or beating out the design from the reverse side of the object.It is the opposite of chasing, where the decoration is applied from the front. An embossed or repoussed object may have chasing applied to finish off the design.
Pair Cased - A pair cased watch is one with a double case. The movement is encased, and for additional protection this is fitted into an outer case.
Shagreen - Shagreen is the untanned smoothly pebbled textured skins of rays, sharks or dogfish. In finishing, it is dyed, mostly green, but the colour often fades to a cream colour. Shagreen was a popular material in Europe during the Art Deco era, when designers sought to mould the French tradition of luxury with exotic and precious materials. Most collectable items made from shagreen are smaller objects, like glasses cases, dagger and sword hilts, dressing accessories, boxes and picture frames.
Chapter Ring - A separate metal plate on the face of a clock, on which the numerals for the hours and sometimes parts of the hours, are displayed, usually wheel shaped and sitting on top of the dial plate. The chapter ring is often a feature of the clock and can be silvered or enamelled to stand as a contrast to its background. The hours are usually shown in Roman numerals, although in the late 19th and earlt 20th century, Arabic numerals became fashionable.
Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.

This item has been included into following indexes:

pocket watches, case type
- open face, gold / gold-plated case 1,381
- pair cased 165
pocket watches, period - Georgian 289
shagreen items 122

18th Century Gold Verge Watch with Repousse Case

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