Early repeating verge by Charles Goode

Stock No. 1524

Charles Goode
London, c1710
Silver gilt case, 56 mm
Verge, quarter repeating movement

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A fine quality and very early London verge repeater, in a substantial silver gilt case.

MOVEMENT : An excellent quality and beautiful gilded movement with Egyptian and baluster pillars, small silver regulator disk, and finely pierced and engraved balance cock with ruby endstone.
The movement is signed (CHARLES GOODE, LONDON).

All in good condition, though there is a little wear to the rim of the balance cock table, near the regulator square.
Running well and repeating. The quarters are fine, but the hours, between about 10 and 2 tend to over repeat to 12 strikes.
Nice loud, clear strike to the bell.

DIAL : White enamel dial, in good condition. Just a few surface scratches and two short hairlines to either side of the opening catch. The dial is probably a little later than the movement (mid 18th century).

Later, fancy gilt hands.

CASE : A substantial and beautifully pierced and engraved silver gilt case, with gilt brass bow. Internal steel bell.

There is some light wear to the gilding, but otherwise all in very good condition. The high dome crystal is in good condition. The catch, catch button and hinge are fine and the bezel snaps shut nicely.

Charles Goode is listed in The Strand, London and in the Clockmakers’ Company from 1686. He died in 1730.

The repeating mechanism of this watch is a Stockten tyupe. The best London made eighteenth century repeating mechanisms were made using the this system, named after the original inventor Matthew Stockten (known also as Stockton, Stockdon or Stogden) who worked for both Daniel Quare and George Graham.

Charles Goode was one of the first London makers to use jewelled bearing in watches. This began in London between 1705 and 1710. Makers such as Goode, Tompion and Graham were among the few to fit jewels, which never became normal practice with verge escapements. Such early work is very rare.