John Kentish Jnr

An antique verge fusee pocket watch with gilt and tortoiseshell pair case and rare physician's dial by John Kentish Jnr of London.

This rare eighteenth century English verge fusee pocket watch has a signed & gilded full plate movement, and a finely pierced & engraved balance cock set with a diamond endstone. The engraved decoration continues around the silver disc regulator. The movement also retains the original dust cap.

The time is displayed via gilded hands to the white enamel dial and a small Roman chapter ring below the 12 o'clock position. A fine blued steel concentric pointer indicates seconds to the outer edge of the dial. The seconds chapter ring is further divided into one-fifth segments. The dial arrangement is often referred to as a "physicians" or "doctors" dial - so called because it is possible to stop the seconds pointer for the purpose of taking a patient's pulse. A steel stop lever exits the outsideof the case at the 4 o'clock position to operate this rare facility. The dial is signed "John Kentish Jnr - Southampton Street, Strand" (London).

The gilded pair cases are as close to mint condition as is possible to get. The outer case is covered in pinned tortoiseshell that has developed a most appealing colour.

Diameter 58mm

SOLD