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English Verge Fusse
WL Jeffreys
Circa 1790
Essay of a first Verge Purchase
January 25, 2006
Having been a member of Web Horology and Chapter 149, I have most recently acquired my first English Verge Fusse pocket watch. There had been bidding opportunities on 11 different Verge fusse’s of 19th century origin with a price threshold of $500 US Dollars. Each of these signed watches exceeded this threshold and thus I passed on them.
This particular watch had a reserve price set for the watch at $248.00 USD (which based on the other 11 bids was a bit low). I met the reserve for this watch 2 days prior to end of US auction and the watch was advertised as an circa 1810 English Verge Fusse. Photographs were poor, and I engaged the seller for more information and better photos should I find it necessary to raise my maximum bid of $274.99. The case hallmarks for this watch has a capitol P, and thus for the time line could have been either 1810 or 1790. As it turns out I did not need to raise the maximum bid and I was the winning bidder for $248.50 USD.
The delivery of this watch was interrupted by a death in the family of the seller, but subsequently through due diligence I received the watch in Virginia. The only problem I encountered was that it was necessary to reattach the hour and minute hand. I immediately began taking pictures and posting these pictures on Web Horology. Frank Menez responded to the post regarding the case hallmarks on Web Horology and on the NAWCC message board and the watch indeed was circa 1790.
The case hallmarks Frank Menez deduced from my photos as WM for William Means. Frank Menez with in-depth collector knowledge was aware that William Means only made sterling verge cases from 1783 to 1800. Oliver Mundy on the NAWCC message board identified the Bosley regulator as having been developed in 1755 but not utilized in the English watches until 1790. He also deduced the watch dial having no seconds bit and minute markers with 5 minute markers 5 to 60 out side the roman numeral dial, as a practice that did not carry forward after 1800. Through the help of Web Horology and Chapter 149 member and collectors, this fantastic English verge find with it flawless inner and outer cases, flawless gold guilded movement and Bosley regulator, in running condition had been acquired for the small sum of $248.50 USD.
The watchmaker was WL Jeffreys (signed) circa 1790 London England. The case maker was William Means of London England circa 1790 (P). Inside the outer case back was a watch service paper which Oliver Munday of the NAWCC message board evaluated both the text and type of thin parchment paper as circa 1860. So this watch even carried evidence of being serviced as early as 1860.
Diameter of outer case 58 MM (excluding stem/crown and bow)
Diameter of inner case 52 MM
Diameter of movement back side 46 MM
Weight 148 grams
Keith Richmond
Web Horology member, Chapter 149, and NAWCC member #163409.
Participants Sam Kirk, Greg Davis, Frank Menez, DH Grace, Joe Jones, Oliver Mundy, Doc Mark, Keith Richmond
9 files, last one added on Jan 26, 2006
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