Verge escapement watch movement by John Shaw
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c.1690
This early English verge escapement watch movement is attributed to John Shaw of Holborn, London, dating to circa 1690. The gilded brass mechanism features pierced and engraved balance and pillar work along with an unusual balance-spring regulation mechanism.
One half of the balance-cock table is engraved with instructions indicating that increasing the figure accelerates the rate while decreasing it slows it down. The other half is cut away to expose the balance spring and an adjustable regulating device set above an arc scale numbered I through V with 'Slower' and 'Faster' indicators.
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 & fusee movement
- Materials
- Brass, steel, and enamel
- Dimensions
- 51 mm x 48.5 mm x 26.5 mm
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Maker / attribution
- John Shaw
- Balance Cock Inscription
- To Increase the figure will make it goe faster & to Decrease it slower
- Maker Signature and Number
- John Shaw, Holborn, 546
Design
- Visible features
- • Pierced and engraved balance-cock foot extending into ornate foliate scrollwork across the backplate. • Engraved script signature 'John Shaw Holborn' visible along the upper left rim of the backplate. • Regulator scale with engraved numerals visible through the semicircular aperture of the balance table. • Gilded Egyptian-style or pierced pillars separating the movement plates.
- Identity and Signatures
- This verge escapement watch movement is catalogued by the Science Museum Group as the work of John Shaw, dated in Holborn to circa 1690 (with a broader made date range of 1601–1700). The movement's backplate is documented as signed 'John Shaw, Holborn, 546'. Museum records note that Shaw became a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 1682 and its Master in 1712. Direct visual observation confirms the engraved script signature 'John Shaw Holborn' along the upper rim of the backplate. The movement is catalogued under object number L2015-4120 and Clockmakers' Museum No. 1210 as a loan from the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers.
- Balance Cock and Regulation Mechanism
- The backplate incorporates an unusual balance-cock construction adapted for balance-spring regulation. One half of the balance-cock table is engraved 'To Increase the figure will make it goe faster & to Decrease it slower'. The remaining half of the table is cut away to reveal the balance spring with an adjustable regulating device used to modify spring length. Beneath this aperture, the plate is engraved with 'Slower, Faster' alongside an arc scale numbered from I through V. Visual observation confirms the regulator scale with engraved numerals visible directly through the semicircular aperture of the balance table.
- Physical Structure and Documented Components
- The movement measures 51 mm by 48.5 mm by 26.5 mm overall and is listed as composed of brass, steel, and enamel. Visible mechanical features include gilded Egyptian-style or pierced pillars separating the plates, as well as a pierced and engraved balance-cock foot extending into ornate foliate scrollwork across the backplate. While the museum record describes the object as a 'Verge escapement watch movement with later enamel dial', the dial is not visible in the provided rear-plate photograph. Consequently, dial preservation, design, and under-dial work cannot be confirmed from this view.
Identification
- Serial number
- 546
- Museum Object Number
- L2015-4120
- 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: The dial mentioned in the source ('later enamel dial') is not visible in this backplate-angled photograph.
- Research required: Dial side, dial condition, and under-dial motion work cannot be confirmed from the rear three-quarter view.