Pocket watch · Gilt-brass verge pocket watch with tortoiseshell pair case

Pocket watch by John Drills

Partially verified

This pocket watch, dating to approximately 1750, is attributed to the London-based watchmaker John Drills. The timepiece features a gilt-brass case adorned with a chased classical scene, supplemented by an outer protective shell made of tortoiseshell. The white enamelled dial is equipped with Roman numeral hour markers and Arabic numeral minute indicators. Internally, the watch contains a plate featuring an openwork balance cock decorated with scrollwork, which bears the maker's signature and the serial number 5360. The watch also includes two distinct paper watch-papers found within the tortoiseshell casing, originating from Rudolf Bossert in Hoorn and Van den Hartog in Purmerend. This object is part of the Maurits Elzas collection and has been held by the Rijksmuseum since 1937 following the owner's bequest.

Pocket watch with chased classical scene and tortoiseshell outer case, circa 1750. — Rijksmuseum. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source: www.rijksmuseum.nl
Category: Pocket watch · Gilt-brass verge pocket watch with tortoiseshell pair case
Maker / attribution: John Drills
Reference: Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier: BK-15001
Source-reported date: ca. 1750
Source-reported place: England
Source-reported serial: 5360

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

Case and Dial Design

The object is presented as a pair-case watch, comprising an internal gilt-brass core and an external protective housing finished in tortoiseshell. The primary gilt-brass case features decorative chasing, with the source noting a classical scene depicted on its surface. The overall structure is completed by a traditional bow and pendant assembly. The dial is white enamel, presenting a clear layout of Roman numerals for the hours and smaller Arabic numerals marking the minutes.

The tortoiseshell case serves as a secondary protective layer, providing both utility and aesthetic contrast. Within this outer casing, two historic watch-papers have been preserved, identifying them as items from Rudolf Bossert of Hoorn and Van den Hartog of Purmerend, suggesting regional maintenance or retail history within the Netherlands.

Evidence for this section

“Verguld koperen horloge in gedreven kast, en een tweede kast van schildpad.”
“Op de losse koperen kast een gedreven klassieke voorstelling.”
“De wit geëmailleerde wijzerplaat heeft Romeinse uurcijfers en Arabische minuutcijfers.”
“In de schildpadkast twee losse kastbodempapieren van Rudolf Bossert te Hoorn en Van den Hartog te Purmerend.”

Movement and Signature

The mechanical heart of the watch is contained within a plate featuring an openwork balance cock. This component is decorated with detailed scrollwork, a feature consistent with mid-18th-century horological practices. The plate is explicitly signed by the maker, John Drills of London, and carries the serial number 5360, which facilitates the attribution of the object to this London workshop.

The integration of the serial number with the signature on the plate provides a clear identification marker for the watch's origin in the English capital.

Evidence for this section

“De platine met opengewerkte kloof met rankenornament is gesigneerd: John Drills, London 5360.”
“uurwerkmaker: John Drills, Londen”

Provenance and Collection

This pocket watch entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in 1937 as part of the Maurits Elzas collection. Elzas, based in Arnhem, had acquired the watch in 1920 from the dealer H. Holle, located in De Rijp. The piece is part of a larger donation consisting of 107 watches bequeathed by Elzas to the museum upon his death.

The records confirm that the watch passed through a specialized trade channel before entering the museum's permanent holdings. It is now documented under the accession number BK-15001.

Evidence for this section

“from the dealer H. Holle, De Rijp, near Amsterdam, fl. 10, to Maurits Elzas (1868-1937), Arnhem, 1920”
“by whom bequeathed with 106 other watches, as part of the 'Maurits Elzas Collection', to the museum, 1937”

Open research questions

What specific classical scene is depicted on the gilt-brass case?
Can John Drills be further contextualized within the guild of London watchmakers active in 1750?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Pocket watch by John Drills
Field	Source-reported value	Source quotation
Maker	John Drills	“John Drills, Londen”
Date	ca. 1750	“ca. 1750”
Material	Gilt brass, tortoiseshell, enamel	“Verguld koperen horloge in gedreven kast, en een tweede kast van schildpad.”
Dial Features	Roman hours, Arabic minutes	“De wit geëmailleerde wijzerplaat heeft Romeinse uurcijfers en Arabische minuutcijfers.”
Watch papers	Rudolf Bossert and Van den Hartog	“In de schildpadkast twee losse kastbodempapieren van Rudolf Bossert te Hoorn en Van den Hartog te Purmerend.”
Provenance	Maurits Elzas Collection	“by whom bequeathed with 106 other watches, as part of the 'Maurits Elzas Collection', to the museum, 1937”

Visible details

White enamel dial with inner Roman hour ring and outer Arabic minute track
Outer protective case finished with a tortoiseshell veneer
Gilt-brass bow and pendant assembly at the twelve o'clock position
Intricate pierced and engraved balance cock visible within the movement

Research qualifications

The specific nature of the 'classical scene' on the gilt-brass case is not visually detailed in the provided image
The functional state of the movement is not stated in the source

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

Consulted source

Pocket watch with chased classical scene

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record bd36285429

Terms in this record

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