Enamel Open-Faced Verge Watch with Shell Decoration
A gold and enamel open-faced verge watch Continental circa 1810, gilt full plate movement, verge fusee escapement, pierced and engraved balance cock, white enamel dial, Roman numerals, outer minute track, gilt Breguet hands, the case applied with shell form decoration and blue enamel and star borders, diameter 1.38 in. Accompanied by a two keys.
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- Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
- Fusee - The fusee movement was used in clocks and pocket watches from the mid 17th century. The fusee is a cone shaped drum within the works that is linked to the barrel of the spring, usually by a length of chain.
As the mainspring loses its tension over time, the cone shaped barrel compensates for this by increasing the tension, by pulling the mainspring tighter, thus ensuring the time remains constant.
Use of the fusee in clocks was superseded by the "going barrel" in the mid 19th century and for pocket watches at the beginning of the 19th century.
The fusee continued to be used in marine chronometers until the 1970s. - Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- Breguet (brand) (Switzerland) - pocket watches and wrist watches 85
- pocket watches, case type
- pocket watches, period - Georgian 289
