Silver Verge Fusee with its Heerenveen Watchmaker's Label, c.1810
The movement is a full gilt-plate verge with a chain fusee. The balance sits under a large pierced and engraved bridge cock, screwed down at both ends, beside a silver regulator disc.
The signature D.D. Neveren is recorded on other London-signed verges made for the Dutch market, four of them in the Museum van het Nederlandse Uurwerk, each with the same pierced balance bridge. The watch also carries the paper trade label of B. Keithen, Horologiemaker te Heerenveen, inside the outer case. Both point to the same thing: this is one of the large number of London-signed verge watches made or finished for the Dutch market, where English watches were prized and widely retailed. Watches of this group were made largely in the watchmaking regions along the Swiss and French border, often to the order of Dutch merchants. The arcaded minute ring on the dial and the bridge over the balance are both features of that Dutch-market style. The inner case carries the oval sponsor's mark JDB and the case number; the same JDB mark is found with imitation London hallmarks on Dutch-market cases of Continental silver in the British Museum. The Heerenveen label ties the watch to a watchmaker in Heerenveen, Friesland, and to the Anglo-Dutch watch trade of the period.
Style places it around 1800 to 1820.
It measures 54mm across the case and 22mm deep, a substantial watch to hold. The white enamel dial has Roman hour numerals, an outer Arabic five-minute track and ornate cartouche markers, with steel hands.
Condition is honest and unrestored. It winds, sets and runs; both cases close securely; the high-domed crystal is intact. The enamel dial is bright with fine hairlines and light surface spotting and no chips. One hand tip is damaged. The outer case shows heavy honest scratching from age and use. Nothing has been polished out or over-restored.
