Gilt-Metal Pair Cased Pocket Watch by Thomas Good, 1730

A gilt-metal pair cased pocket watch, maker Thomas Good English…
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A gilt-metal pair cased pocket watch, maker Thomas Good English circa 1730 4.4 cm diameter, 6.2 cm high, 5.1 cm case diameter. A gilt-metal pair cased pocket watch, maker Thomas Good. English Circa 1730. Gilt-metal pair cased watch, the inner case plain, long pendant, broad stirrup bow. The outer. case is covered in shagreen (or Chagreen, as Robert Burnett called it in a letter to Norman dated 13/2/1972) or shark skin tanned and coloured green, decorated with brass pin work. Gold champleve dial, black enamel Roman hour numerals, black enamel Arabic minute. numerals, blued steel beetle and poker hands. Signed "Good" on a polished ribbon above the centre of the dial and "London" on a polished ribbon below. The movement has a verge escapement, fusee and chain drive. Balance cock with a pierced. and engraved table, symmetrical foliate pattern with a mask near the foot, and pierced and engraved foot. Plain, squared pillars (see Britten, figure 15, page 115, third example from the right), ornate fusee stop, pierced fret forming indicator for the silver regulator dial. Signed on the back plate "T. Good, London, 731'. Reference: Thomas Good was apprenticed to Henry Jones in 1700. This watch was mentioned in the AHS Journal for March 1972 under Sold at Auction: 'T. Good, London, No 731. Gilt-metal pair-cased verge watch, gold champleve dial, outer case with green sharkskin, circa 1730, sold Sotheby's late 1971 for 110 pounds". Provenance: Purchased by Norman Dean from Robert Burnett, Nottingham, January 1972 for 195 pounds. Dimensions: 4.4 cm diameter, 6.2 cm high, 5.1 cm case diameter

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  • Fusee - The fusee movement was used in clocks and pocket watches from the mid 17th century. The fusee is a cone shaped drum within the works that is linked to the barrel of the spring, usually by a length of chain.

    As the mainspring loses its tension over time, the cone shaped barrel compensates for this by increasing the tension, by pulling the mainspring tighter, thus ensuring the time remains constant.

    Use of the fusee in clocks was superseded by the "going barrel" in the mid 19th century and for pocket watches at the beginning of the 19th century.

    The fusee continued to be used in marine chronometers until the 1970s.
  • 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.
  • Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Verge Escapement - A verge escapement is an early mechanical escapement used in clocks and other timekeeping devices. It is an early form of the escapement mechanism, which is used to regulate the movement of the hands of a clock or watch. The verge escapement consists of a vertical shaft called the verge, which is mounted on the clock's main plate. Attached to the verge are two pallets, which engage with the teeth of the escape wheel. As the escape wheel turns, the pallets alternately lock and release it, allowing the movement of the clock to be regulated. The verge escapement was widely used in early mechanical clocks, but it was eventually replaced by the more accurate and reliable anchor escapement.
  • Back Plate - On many types of clocks, the movement operates between two plates, usually made of brass, one at the back, and the other at the front, which forms a mount for the dial.

    On English bracket, mantle and table clocks the backplate was often visible through a glass door or panel from the late 17th century, and could be profusely engraved with scrolling decorations, flowers, foliage, birds, and figures. The engraving could also include the maker?s name.

    The amount of engraving reduced and became simpler as the 18th century progressed, and by 1800, had been reduced to a border, often with the maker's name in the centre. By the early 1800s all decoration had ceased, and only the maker's name was added, and by the Victorian era, most bracket, mantle and table clocks had no engraving.
  • Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.

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