Beschreibung:

A fine William III gilt brass verge pocket watch movement with 'pendulum' balance John Shaw Holborn, circa 1700 The gilt full plate single fusee verge movement with four fine tulip pillars pinned through the backplate and scroll-pierced stop-iron block, the balance cock with herringbone bordered rim and semi-circular segment cut away to reveal oscillating balance incorporating disc 'pendulum bob', the covered section engraved with text To increase ye figure makes, it go faster to decreas, it slower within scroll borders and with adjacent female mask decoration at the junction with the conforming pierced broad foot flanked by steel regulation square opposing signature IOHN SHAW, HOLBORN, (lacking dial), the pillar plate 39mm (1.5ins) diameter. John Shaw is recorded in Loomes, Brian Clockmakers of Britain 1286-1700 as born circa 1661, apprenticed in June 1675 first to William Herbert before passing to Thomas Taylor of Holborn (in September 1675) and gaining his freedom of the Clockmakers' Company in 1682. By 1692 John Shaw was working in the parish of St. Andrews, Holborn; he was made an Assistant of the Clockmakers' Company in 1705, served as Warden from 1709 and was Master in 1712. He is believed to have died in around 1718. The current lot is an interesting variant which appears to have first been devised in Holland shortly after the introduction of the pendulum - with the visible 'pendulum' balance probably serving to give the impression of improved accuracy. A similar movement by Shaw is illustrated in Camerer Cuss, T.P. The Country Life Book of WATCHES page 43 (fig. 42.).