David Lestourgeon pair-cased eight-day verge watch with six-hour dial
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1700
This antique pair-cased verge pocket watch, circa 1700, is signed by London maker David Lestourgeon. It features a silver champlevé six-hour dial with Roman numerals for hours 1 to 6 containing concentric Arabic numerals for hours 7 to 12, complemented by an outer 1-12 Arabic numeral track, date aperture, and blued steel hands.
Housed within a plain silver inner case measuring 47 mm and an outer tortoiseshell-covered case measuring 56 mm with silver pins, it encases a gilded full-plate fusee movement with crested Egyptian pillars and an intricately pierced balance cock.
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
- Pair cased verge pocket watch
- Escapement
- Verge escapement
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Inner Case Diameter
- 47 mm
- Maker / attribution
- David Lestourgeon
- Outer Case Diameter
- 56 mm
- Outer Case Material
- Tortoiseshell covering secured with silver pins
Design
- Visible features
- • Tortoiseshell-clad outer case held by evenly spaced silver pin studs around the bezel • Silver champlevé dial with central scrolling banners bearing 'LETVRGEON' and 'LONDON' • Aperture above the lower 6 position showing a date disc framed in blued steel • Elongated stirrup-shaped pendant and bow mounted atop the silver inner case
- Case Construction and Dual Housings
- The timekeeper utilizes a pair-case construction comprising a plain silver inner case and a tortoiseshell-covered protective outer case. The inner case measures 47 mm in diameter, features a shuttered winding aperture at the back, and is fitted with a stirrup-form pendant and bow which the catalogue notes is a later addition. The outer protective case measures 56 mm in diameter and has a tortoiseshell covering with the back and bezel secured with silver pins, visible as evenly spaced pin studs around the front bezel. The source records a case maker's mark 'JH', noted as possibly indicating John Harbert or John Higgs.
- Dial Configuration and Inscriptions
- The watch is fitted with a silver champlevé six-hour dial. The primary chapter ring bears Roman numerals for hours 1 to 6, with each numeral additionally calibrated with Arabic numerals in their centres representing hours 7 to 12. This is surrounded by an outer ring graduated with Arabic numerals 1-12, read by blued steel hands. The dial centre features a stippled ground decorated with chased and engraved scrolling banners signed 'Letvrgeon [sic] London'. An aperture with a blued steel surround displays the date disc, visually observed positioned above the lower numeral 6.
- Movement Architecture and Attributions
- The movement is catalogued as an eight-day gilded full-plate calibre with a verge escapement, fusee, and chain. It features crested Egyptian pillars, a silver regulation disc, and a decoratively pierced balance cock engraved with scrolling foliage and a central urn. The movement plate is signed 'David Lestourgeon, London'. Because the movement and the reverse of the cases are not shown in the single frontal image, their internal construction and hallmarks are documented solely based on the auction catalogue description.
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: Source notes the stirrup-form pendant and bow are later additions
- Research required: Case maker's mark 'JH' is tentatively attributed to either John Harbert or John Higgs
- Research required: Rear of the outer case is not shown in the provided photographs