Benjamin Lisle silver-cased verge calendar watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1645-1655
This mid-seventeenth-century silver-cased verge pocket watch with date indicator is attributed by the source to maker Benjamin Lisle in Rotterdam, dated circa 1645 to 1655.
The dial features a pinned-on blued-steel hand, an engraved central floral composition, and a silver chapter ring marked with Roman numerals and foliate half-hour divisions. An outer silver ring calibrated 1 to 31 indicates the date via a revolving gilt-brass ring bearing a steel pointer. According to museum documentation, the pre-balance spring movement possesses gilt-brass plates with pierced Egyptian pillars, a fusee with chain, and a 30-hour duration, housed within an engraved silver case depicting the surrender of a town or city.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Verge calendar watch
- Maker
- Benjamin Lisle
- Escapement
- Pre-balance spring verge
- Case Diameter
- 50.30 mm
- Case Thickness
- 22.20 mm
- Place recorded
- Netherlands
- Production Date
- 1645-1655
- Production Place
- Rotterdam
- Maker / attribution
- Benjamin Lisle
Design
- Visible features
- • Silver chapter ring marked with black Roman hour numerals and foliate half-hour divisions • Engraved floral scene filling the central portion of the dial • Outer perimeter calendar track calibrated with numerals 1 through 31 • Revolving gilt-brass ring with textured border and a small steel indicator pointing to the outer calendar track • Hinged silver case bezel with gadrooned patterning and pendant ring at the top
- Dial and Calendar Mechanism
- The dial consists of a gilt-brass plate with a riveted silver dial displaying Roman numerals I-XII and foliate half-hour marks. The central area is engraved with a realistic floral design, and the time is indicated by a single pinned-on blued-steel hand. A calendar function is provided by an outer hatched border containing a riveted silver ring engraved 1-31. A revolving gilt-brass ring, also featuring hatched decoration and a steel pointer, indicates the date.
- Construction and Case Features
- This silver-cased watch measures 50.30 mm in diameter and 22.20 mm in thickness. The case features an integral back and a hinged, glazed bezel, with both the band and bezel decorated by engraved gadroon borders. The case back is engraved with a depiction of a town or city surrender. The case closure does not utilize a standard catch, instead employing a brass stud at the VI position to facilitate lifting the dial and movement. The silver pendant includes a loose ring and features an indistinct punch-mark.
- Movement and Technical Observations
- The movement features circular gilt-brass plates and four pierced Egyptian pillars. It is a 30-hour duration, pre-balance spring verge watch. The escapement has been modified, with the crown wheel arbor shortened to run in a long plug within the counter-potence; both the verge and balance are identified as likely replacements. The gear train shows evidence of non-original components. The second and contrate wheels are noted as potentially replaced; specifically, the contrate wheel has been dished to mesh with the crown wheel pinion, and the second wheel is positioned out of upright to mesh with the great wheel.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Movement condition is not visible in the provided image; the source notes the second and contrate wheels are possibly not original, with the contrate dished and the second wheel planted out of upright
- Research required: The verge and balance are recorded by the museum as probably replaced
- Research required: The engraved case back depicting the surrender scene is described in source text but not visible in the provided dial view