Daniel Quare, London no.632, circa 1708

Exhibit No.15

The gold inner case with plain glazed dial bezel, hinged to the pierced back, with beautifully engraved scrollwork, shells, and a mask, with winding aperture and stirrup shaped bow to the pump-pendant. The inside stamped RH for the casemaker, the repeat bell screw-fixed. The gold outer case with pierced scroll and shell open bezel with shaped hinge to the back, also pierced and engraved, the back edge decorated with plaques containing repoussé classical heads, the rear with repoussé fish-scales around a later inset oval cartouche

The gold champlevé dial, with centre signed D. Quare, London on ribboned linen-folds raised on a matted ground, the chapters with Arabic five-minute numerals outside their division ring, and Roman hours with lozenge half-hour markers within, all indicated by fine original blued-steel beetle-and-poker hands.

The verge movement with gilt-brass plates and five baluster pillars, signed D Quare, London and numbered 632. The gilt, champlevé winged foot, balance cock, pierced and superbly scroll engraved with a mask below the diamond endstone and also numbered 632 under the cock, the similar champlevé engraved gilt top plate with silvered regulation disc, all held by blued-steel screws. The going train with original chain driving the fusee from the barrel, the quarter-repeat mechanism activated by pressing the pendant. The movement is protected by a removable gilt-brass dust-cap, signed Dan.l Quare, London.

Sotheby’s, 13 July 1964, lot 23, sold for £2,700;

Private collection, UK

55 mm

Quare probably began numbering his watches in the early 1680s, but without further hallmark evidence it is difficult to be more precise. In c.1717/18, he took Stephen Horseman into partnership, and the first repeating watch with both names is numbered 827, suggesting that no.632 was perhaps made around c.1708.