Rare 17th Century Wandering-Hour Pocket Watch by William Knottesford

A very rare wandering-hour pocket watch, maker William Knottesford English circa 1670 1.57 in. diameter, 1.85 in. high, case diameter 1.97 in. A very rare wandering-hour pocket watch, maker William Knottesford. English circa 1670. Gold "wandering hour watches are most unusual, particularly when they come from the period prior to the introduction of the balance spring. In a letter to Norman dated 24/7/1984 Terence Camerer Cuss says about this watch "It is exceptionally early for a wandering hour and maybe is the earliest". The gold dial of this example shows Diana in her grotto; Diana's nymphs were expected to be as chaste as the goddess herself. One of them, Callisto, was seduced by Jupiter who first disguised himself as Diana in order to gain the nymphs presence. Diana confronts Callisto, pointing accusingly. Callisto, her robes drawn back to show her unmistakable pregnancy, cringes in shame. The other nymphs register shame and disapproval. The inner case and the decorative pins to the skin-covered outer case are also gold. the movement has a verge escapement, fusee with chain drive. On the dial there is are no conventional hands, but the hour of the day appears on a circular disc that moves around a semi-circular aperture that has both the minutes and the quarters marked on seperate scales. Provenance: Purchased from Terence Camerer Cuss in July 1984 for 11,000 Pounds ($17,500). Reference: William Knottesford was Master of the Clockmakers Company in 1693 and his watches appear in the collections of the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Guildhall. Illustrated in "Early Watches" by T . P . Camerer Cuss (Terence's father). See page 55 of Camerer Cuss & Co The Bicentenary 1788 - 1988, and it features in an article by Terence Camerer Cuss entitled "Watches with Unusual Dials" which appeared in The Antique Collector, October 1969. Dimensions: 1.57 in. diameter, 1.85 in. high, case diameter 1.97 in.

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Date Aperture - A date aperture is a cut out section in the face of a watch or clock, displaying the day of the month.
Verge Escapement - A verge escapement is an early mechanical escapement used in clocks and other timekeeping devices. It is an early form of the escapement mechanism, which is used to regulate the movement of the hands of a clock or watch. The verge escapement consists of a vertical shaft called the verge, which is mounted on the clock's main plate. Attached to the verge are two pallets, which engage with the teeth of the escape wheel. As the escape wheel turns, the pallets alternately lock and release it, allowing the movement of the clock to be regulated. The verge escapement was widely used in early mechanical clocks, but it was eventually replaced by the more accurate and reliable anchor escapement.
Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
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.

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