Oval gilt-brass and silver cased verge watch with calendar dial and sundial
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1610-1620
This early seventeenth-century oval watch is reported by the British Museum to have been made by Coenrad Jacobs in Leeuwarden between 1610 and 1620. Constructed with a gilt-brass case featuring an applied silver foliate band, the interior lid retains a removable horizontal sundial with a folding gnomon and central orientation compass.
The gilt-brass dial plate exhibits foliate scroll engraving, an applied silver chapter ring with touch-pins, concentric rings for the date and moon's age, and a central aspectarium displaying lunar phase indications. The movement incorporates a fusee, three-wheel going train, and a pre-balance spring verge escapement.
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 with sundial
- Maker
- Coenrad Jacobs
- Escapement
- pre-balance spring verge
- Museum Number
- 1888,1201.176
- Place recorded
- Netherlands
- Production Date
- 1610-1620
- Production Place
- Leeuwarden
- Maker / attribution
- Coenrad Jacobs
Design
- Visible features
- • Hinged lid opened to display an internal horizontal sundial with a central compass and folding gnomon. • Main dial plate features engraved scrolling foliage surrounding an applied silver Roman numeral chapter ring with star half-hour markers and touch-pins. • Inner dial contains calibrated concentric rings for dates 1 to 31 and moon's age 1 to 29½, enclosing a central aspectarium disc. • Visible case band shows an applied pierced or chased dark silver scrollwork band on the gilt-brass body.
- Dial Configuration
- The gilt-brass dial plate is decorated with foliate scroll engraving. It includes an applied silver chapter ring featuring Roman numerals (I-XII), star half-hour marks, and touch-pins at the hours. The dial includes a gilt-brass ring calibrated 1-31 for the date and a silver ring calibrated 1-29½ for the moon's age, with a central aspectarium aperture to display lunar phases.
- Movement and Mechanism
- The movement features oval gilt-brass plates with four baluster pillars, a fusee with standard stop-work, a three-wheel going train, and a pre-balance spring verge escapement with a two-arm steel balance. The motion work is driven by an integral pinion on the fusee/great-wheel arbor. The lunar disc and date-ring are friction-tight to allow for user adjustment.
- Case and Integrated Sundial
- The object is an oval gilt-brass case featuring an integral plain back and an applied silver band decorated with foliate scrolls. The interior of the lid contains a removable horizontal sundial, which is equipped with a folding gnomon and a central compass for orientation.
Identification
- Reference
- 1888,1201.176
- 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 sundial inside the lid is removable.
- Research required: Country of origin is reported as Leeuwarden (modern-day Netherlands).