A fine very rare early 18thc. wandering hour verge

An early 18thc. German verge, with a very rare wandering hour dial.

MOVEMENT : The gilt verge movement has a large, engraved and pierced balance cock, decorated with foliage, birds and masks to the top and the neck. There is a jewelled steel coquerette at the centre of the balance cock table (typical of Continental movements of the period), and four finely made, wide, crested tulip pillars.

Signed Gottfridt Torborch, Munchen.

In good condition though with scratches to the silver regulator disc. Running well.

DIAL : A wonderful ‘wandering hour’ gilt dial.

The gilt dial shows the current hour in Roman numerals within an engraved silver disc which rotates across the upper half of the dial, within the semi circular window. This marks the minutes above and the quarters below. As the hour aperture disappears at the right hand side of the window, the next hour appears on the left.

The centre of the dial is decorated with an eagle, with silver trophies of war below. At the centre of these trophies is a polished stone disc (agate ?).

All in very good condition.

CASE : A gilt brass case, with shutter covering the winding aperture on the back. This shutter is sprung, and can be opened and closed using a small steel catch on the back.

Again in very good condition with very little wear to the gilding.

The stem and bow appear to be original. The hinge is fine and the bezel snaps shut nicely. The high dome crystal is in good condition.

Gottfried Torborch originally came from Danzig. He became a citizen of Munich in 1685 and then gained permission to work as a master watchmaker.