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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Silver pocket watch

Engraved and pierced silver watch by Joseph Knibb

Partially verified

This antique silver pocket watch, accession number 1138-1905 in the Victoria and Albert Museum Metalwork Collection, is documented as made in London between approximately 1670 and 1675. The movement is attributed to maker Joseph Knibb, and the museum record notes a signature reading 'Jose(ph) Knibb, London'. The watch case is fashioned from engraved and pierced silver, measuring 5.8 cm high, 4.9 cm wide, and 3 cm deep. Visually, the dial displays prominent Roman numerals and an inner Arabic ring, fitted with a single central hand with a tail pointer.

Front view of engraved silver pocket watch showing dial, single hand, and top pendant
Front view of engraved silver pocket watch showing dial, single hand, and top pendant — Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
collections.vam.ac.uk
Category
Pocket watch · Silver pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Joseph Knibb
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
1670-1675
Country
United Kingdom

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Identity and Attribution

This pocket watch, accession number 1138-1905 in the Victoria and Albert Museum Metalwork Collection, is documented as made in London between approximately 1670 and 1675. The institution records Joseph Knibb under "Artist/Maker" with the specific parenthetical qualification "(movement)".

The museum record notes an inscription or signature reading "signed 'Jose(ph) Knibb, London'", classified as a maker's signature. Details regarding the maker of the case itself are not recorded in this source.

Evidence for this section
  • “Artist/Maker Knibb, Joseph (movement)”
  • “Place of origin London (made)”
  • “Watch 1670-5 (made)”
  • “Marks and inscriptions signed 'Jose(ph) Knibb, London'”

Case Construction and Dimensions

The watch measures 5.8 cm in height, 4.9 cm in width, and 3 cm in depth. Its materials and techniques are recorded by the museum as "Engraved and pierced silver Silver".

Visual observation of the front aspect shows an engraved silver outer bezel with a visible top hinge positioned directly below the spherical pendant. The piercing recorded in the catalog is not prominently shown from this direct frontal view.

Evidence for this section
  • “Height: 5.8cm Width: 4.9cm Depth: 3cm”
  • “Materials and techniques Engraved and pierced silver Silver”
  • “Engraved silver outer bezel with a visible top hinge below the spherical pendant”

Dial Layout and Visible Indications

Direct visual inspection reveals a silver dial marked with bold Roman numerals accompanied by half-hour fleur-de-lis divisions.

An inner auxiliary ring is numbered with Arabic numerals 1 through 12. Indication is provided by a single central hand featuring a decorative sculpted head and an opposing pointer tail.

Evidence for this section
  • “Silver dial with bold Roman numerals and half-hour fleur-de-lis divisions”
  • “Inner ring numbered with Arabic numerals 1 through 12”
  • “Single central hand with a decorative sculpted head and an opposing pointer tail”

Open research questions

  • Where is the signature 'Jose(ph) Knibb, London' physically located on the movement or case?
  • What movement mechanism, escapement type, or sounding work (if any) is housed within the pierced silver case?
  • What decorative motifs are executed on the pierced and engraved sections of the case band and reverse?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Engraved and pierced silver watch by Joseph Knibb
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerJoseph Knibb“Artist/Maker Knibb, Joseph (movement)”
Place of originLondon“Place of origin London (made)”
Date of manufacture1670-5 (made)“Watch 1670-5 (made)”
Materials and techniquesEngraved and pierced silver“Materials and techniques Engraved and pierced silver Silver”
Accession number1138-1905“Accession number 1138-1905”
DimensionsHeight: 5.8cm Width: 4.9cm Depth: 3cm“Height: 5.8cm Width: 4.9cm Depth: 3cm”
Marks and inscriptionssigned 'Jose(ph) Knibb, London'“Marks and inscriptions signed 'Jose(ph) Knibb, London'”
Museum gallery locationV&A South Kensington, Jewellery, Rooms 91 to 93 mezzanine, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery“On display V&A South Kensington Jewellery, Rooms 91 to 93 mezzanine, The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery”
Museum record creation dateJune 7, 2005“Record created June 7, 2005”
CategoriesClocks & Watches, Metalwork, Europeana Fashion Project“Categories Clocks & Watches Metalwork Europeana Fashion Project”

Visible details

  • Silver dial with bold Roman numerals and half-hour fleur-de-lis divisions
  • Inner ring numbered with Arabic numerals 1 through 12
  • Single central hand with a decorative sculpted head and an opposing pointer tail
  • Engraved silver outer bezel with a visible top hinge below the spherical pendant

Research qualifications

  • The internal movement and maker's signature are concealed inside the closed case in this photograph
  • The piercing noted in the museum record is largely around the band or back and is not fully visible from this direct frontal view

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Watch | Knibb, Joseph | V&A Explore The Collections

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 305d474845

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.