Provincial watch with interesting dial

A mid 18thc. Suffolk watch, in good silver and tortoiseshell pair cases, with a particularly fine dial showing the original owner’s name. Missing the calendar hand and calendar wheels.

MOVEMENT : A gilt movement with a verge escapement, and engraved and pierced balance cock. The cock is engraved with a flower and foliage. Four square pillars, blued screws and silver regulator disk.

Signed Jno. Johnson, Halesworth and numbered 480.

All in good condition, and running well.

DIAL : A fine white enamel dial, in excellent condition, with no repairs and just minor scratches. The dial includes a calendar ring, and the original owner’s name JAMES WOODS in place of hourly numbers.

Fancy gilt hands.

Unfortunately the calendar hand, and the motion wheels to drive this are absent.

INNER CASE : Silver, with London hallmarks for 1784, and maker’s mark ID.

In good condition, though with the usual repair on the inside of the neck where the pendant has beed reattached. The hinge is ok and the bezel snaps shut.

The high dome bull’s eye crystal has numerous light scratches and a small chip right on the edge at 12, but is otherwise ok.

OUTER CASE : A brass case with silver rims and pins, and tortoiseshell covering to the back and bezel.

The hinge, catch and catch button are complete and the case snaps shut.

The shell is in excellent condition and retains a very good bright colour. There is one small chip at the silver pin on the bezel at 5, but otherwise perfect.

John Johnson is listed ‘near the Market Place’ in Halesworth Suffolk from 1770. He married in 1775 and died in 1789.
The outer case contains two papers from watchmaker N. Randells of Ixworth (not far from Halesworth and also in Suffolk).