Watch, London, ca. 1700
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1700
Watch, London, ca. 1700 is an object recorded by Victoria and Albert Museum, dated ca. 1700. The museum's brief description reads: Watch with two cases. Museum description: Object TypeThe watch movement has a verge escapement and a chain-driven fusee to regulate the power of the mainspring. The face has a differential dial: the single hand indicates the minutes around the circumference of the dial and shows the hours on the small central disc, which revolves so that the appropriate hour is below the hand. Around 1700 there was considerable variation in the layouts of dials. Watchmakers experimented to find the most legible way of showing minutes as well as hours. This increase in precision was made possible by the introduction of the balance spring in the 1670s, which gave watches much greater accuracy.PeopleJames Markwick (sometimes Marquet) was apprenticed in 1656, became a Freeman in 1666, and worked until the early 1700s. He appears to have had a fiery character. In September 1677 he was fined for abusing the Master of the Clockmakers' Company at a… The museum record gives material recorded as silver; measurements Depth 3 cm; place associated: London. These details come from the holding museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
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.
Historical context
Object TypeThe watch movement has a verge escapement and a chain-driven fusee to regulate the power of the mainspring. The face has a differential dial: the single hand indicates the minutes around the circumference of the dial and shows the hours on the small central disc, which revolves so that the appropriate hour is below the hand. Around 1700 there was considerable variation in the layouts of dials. Watchmakers experimented to find the most legible way of showing minutes as well as hours. This increase in precision was made possible by the introduction of the balance spring in the 1670s, which gave watches much greater accuracy.PeopleJames Markwick (sometimes Marquet) was apprenticed in 1656, became a Freeman in 1666, and worked until the early 1700s. He appears to have had a fiery character. In September 1677 he was fined for abusing the Master of the Clockmakers' Company at a feast. In 1686 he refused to pay a fine for absence from a Clockmakers' Company court (meeting of senior members) and left 'in an abrupt and angry manner'.Materials & TechniquesTortoiseshell comes from various species of marine turtle. It is thermoplastic and can be softened by hot water or steam then pressed into shape. Piqué work is created by studding the surface with small, profiled silver rods to give a spangled effect. The technique was introduced to Britain in the late 17th century by Huguenot craftsmen.ConditionThe bow (the suspension oval at the top of the watch) is a late 18th-century…
Physical characteristics
- Material
- silver
- Dimensions
- Depth 3 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Silver dial and inner case; tortoiseshell outer case
- Place recorded
- London
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- Watch movement numbered '288'
Identification
- Museum object name
- Watch
- Museum object number
- 1148 to B-1893
- Museum system number
- O77376
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: confirm materials, dimensions, maker and wider type against the museum record and a specialist reference.