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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Verge fusee watch

Samson Wroth tortoiseshell-covered watch

Partially verified

This pocket watch was made by Samson Wroth in Taunton, England, circa 1720. It features a two-body case constructed of gilt metal that is covered in tortoiseshell and decorated with metallic studs. The watch includes a gilt brass shutter for the winding aperture. The dial is white enamel and displays radial Roman numerals with an outer minute ring containing five-minute Arabic markers; it is equipped with blued steel "beetle and poker" hands. The movement measures 41.6 mm and consists of a gilt full plate with Egyptian pillars, a fusee and chain, and a verge escapement. It utilizes a plain steel balance with a flat balance spring and a single-footed cock featuring streamers, pierced and engraved with symmetrical stylized foliage. A rack and pinion regulator with a silver plate is also present. The watch has a total diameter of 55 mm and is signed on the movement.

The Samson Wroth watch showing the dial, the case back with stud decoration, and the open bezel.
The Samson Wroth watch showing the dial, the case back with stud decoration, and the open bezel. — Antiquorum. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
catalog.antiquorum.swiss
Category
Pocket watch · Verge fusee watch
Maker / attribution
Samson Wroth
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
268
Source-reported date
circa 1720
Source-reported place
England

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 Construction

The watch is housed in a two-body case measuring 55 mm in diameter. The exterior back and bezel surfaces are finished with a covering of tortoiseshell and are ornamented with metallic studs. Access to the winding square is managed through a gilt brass shutter mechanism built into the case structure.

The dial is composed of white enamel. It features a chapter ring with radial Roman numerals for the hours and an outer ring marked with five-minute Arabic intervals. The time is indicated by a set of blued steel hands described as the "beetle and poker" pattern.

Evidence for this section
  • “Two-body, back and bezel covered with tortoiseshell and decorated with studs, gilt brass shutter for the winding aperture.”
  • “White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute ring with five-minute Arabic markers. Blued steel "beetle and poker" hands.”

Movement and Technical Features

The internal movement has a diameter of 41.6 mm and follows a gilt full-plate construction. It is powered by a fusee and chain mechanism and employs a verge escapement. The balance is made of plain steel and is regulated by a flat balance spring.

The movement includes a single-footed balance cock detailed with streamers and pierced, engraved symmetrical stylized foliage. A rack and pinion regulator is mounted on a silver plate. The watch is signed by the maker on the movement.

Evidence for this section
  • “gilt full plate with Egyptian pillars, fusee and chain, verge escapement, plain steel balance with flat balance spring”
  • “single-footed cock with streamers, pierced and engraved with symmetrical stylized foliage, rack and pinion regulaor with silver plate.”
  • “Signed on movement.”

Reported Condition

The auction house has provided a condition grading for the timepiece. The overall condition is categorized as Grade AA, which the auction description indicates as very good. Specific components received individual assessments within the report.

The case is evaluated as condition 3, and the movement is also classified as condition 3*.

Evidence for this section
  • “Grading System Grade: AA Very good Case: 3 Good Movement: 3*”
  • “Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense”

Open research questions

  • Are there any records of Samson Wroth watch production in Taunton outside of this specific object?
  • To what extent do the current tortoiseshell studs align with English horological practices of the early 18th century?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Samson Wroth tortoiseshell-covered watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerSamson Wroth“Samson Wroth, Taunton”
Datecirca 1720“circa 1720”
Diameter55 mm“Diam. 55 mm.”
Movement size41.6 mm“41,6 mm”
DialWhite enamel with Roman numerals“White enamel, radial Roman numerals”
CaseTwo-body tortoiseshell and gilt metal“Two-body, back and bezel covered with tortoiseshell and decorated with studs”
EscapementVerge“verge escapement”
RegulatorRack and pinion“rack and pinion regulaor with silver plate”

Visible details

  • Tortoiseshell case decoration with studs
  • Blued steel beetle and poker hands
  • White enamel dial with Arabic five-minute markers
  • Gilt brass winding shutter

Research qualifications

  • Movement overhaul recommended
  • Specific origin of tortoiseshell not verified

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

Consulted source

Samson Wroth, Taunton, circa 1720.Very fine tortoiseshell-covered gilt metal watch.

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record ffa7593308

Terms in this record

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