Verge Fusee

[ddt1240]

Can anyone help me with dating and or any history on this watch??

 

[gmorse]

Hi ddt1240, and welcome to the Forum,

The case was made by Bartholemew Need in Clerkenwell, London, and was hallmarked in the London assay office in 1792. (Although the "r" date letter also appears for 1752 and 1832, it can't be the former because of the duty mark, and it can't be the latter because the leopard has a crown which was removed in 1822). The hallmarks are quite clear, especially the King's head duty mark. Everything looks in good order on the verge movement, apart from signs of corrosion on the regulator square, as far as I can tell from these pictures. I can't decipher the maker's signature on the top plate, but this may well be a retailer rather than the actual maker.

Regards,

Graham

 

[MartyR]

I think the signature is H Favre. Loomes lists Henrique Favre in London c.1730 and Henry Favre 1820-24, watchmaker to the Prince Regent and the Duke of York.

Of course there may have been a son of the first and father of the second between them, or maybe Henry was working before Loomes detected an entry for him. This looks like one of those where the signature is actually the movement maker

I winder if this was another of those Huguenot enigre families? And I wonder of the were ancestors of the Favre of Zenith fame.

 

[DaveyG]

Nice work Marty

Baillie lists the Henry Favre mentioned by Marty as 1800 - 1824 and given the dating identified by Graham one has to suspect that he was in operation pre 1800. Baillie also makes mention of a bracket clock by him, so a clock and watchmaker. Having said that, there is no mention of his election to the Clockmakers' Company.