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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Silver pocket watch

Silver watch, in an embossed silver case

Partially verified

This silver pocket watch, held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum (accession number BK-14911), is attributed to the maker Samson of London and dated to approximately 1740–1760. The watch consists of a silver case and an internal movement marked with the serial number 18120. The watch features a granulated dial adorned with applied relief plates displaying Roman numerals for the hours. These hour markers are interconnected by small silver arches, between which separate plates indicate the minutes. The center of the dial displays an openwork ornament depicting a child, foliage, and a mask. The outer silver casing is decorated with chased and engraved scenes, specifically featuring figures, a dog, and a Roman altar. Stippled lettering on the case carries the initials 'L.H.V.' The watch measures 4.3 cm in diameter, while the case has a diameter of 5.3 cm.

Silver pocket watch featuring a granulated dial with ajour ornament, housed in a chased silver case.
Silver pocket watch featuring a granulated dial with ajour ornament, housed in a chased silver case. — Rijksmuseum. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.rijksmuseum.nl
Category
Pocket watch · Silver pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Samson
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
BK-14911
Source-reported date
ca. 1740 - ca. 1760
Source-reported place
London
Source-reported serial
18120

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

Dial and Case Construction

The dial is granulated and features applied relief plates that bear Roman numerals for hours. These hour indicators are connected by delicate silver arches, with intermediate plates indicating minute intervals. The central portion of the dial is finished with an ajour-worked ornament, featuring a child figure, foliate scrolls, and a mask.

The silver casing is executed with both chasing and engraving techniques. The ornamentation depicts a complex scene including a man and a child standing before a Roman altar, as well as a group consisting of a standing man, a staff, two women, a child, and a dog. The initials 'L.H.V.' are marked in stippled lettering on the exterior of the silver case.

Evidence for this section
  • “De gegranuleerde wijzerplaat is voorzien van reliëfplaatjes waarop de uren in Romeinse cijfers zijn gegraveerd”
  • “In het midden van de wijzerplaat is een ajour bewerkt ornament voorstellende een kind, ranken en een masker”
  • “Horlogekast van zilver, met een gedreven en geciseleerd tafereel”
  • “In stippelletters op de horlogekast: L.H.V.”

Movement and Identification

The movement is identified by the inscription 'Samson London' located on the plate. In addition to the maker's signature, the watch is marked with the number 18120, which acts as the identifying serial number for this specific instrument. The maker is identified as Samson, a clockmaker active in London during the mid-18th century.

The dimensions of the object are documented with the internal watch measuring 4.3 cm in diameter with a height of 2.2 cm, while the external silver case has a diameter of 5.3 cm and a height of 2 cm.

Evidence for this section
  • “Samson (uurwerkmaker), Londen”
  • “Op de platine gemerkt 18120, Samson London.”
  • “horlogekast: diameter 5,3 cm x hoogte 2 cm, horloge: diameter 4,3 cm x hoogte 2,2 cm”

Provenance and Acquisition

The watch was previously held in the private collection of W.R.A.C. Count of Rechteren Limpurg (1865-1929) in Arnhem. Following his death, the object was acquired by another private collector in 1929.

The watch eventually entered the Rijksmuseum collection in 1937 as part of a donation comprising 236 objects from the private collector who had purchased it in 1929. It is currently held under the accession number BK-14911.

Evidence for this section
  • “collection W.R.A.C. graaf van Rechteren Limpurg (1865-1929), Arnhem”
  • “from whom acquired by a private collector, 1929”
  • “by whom donated, with 235 other objects, to the museum, 1937”

Open research questions

  • What is the historical significance of the initials 'L.H.V.' found on the case?
  • Are there further records of the specific workshop of 'Samson' in 18th-century London that relate to serial number 18120?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Silver watch, in an embossed silver case
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerSamson“Samson (uurwerkmaker)”
Dateca. 1740 - ca. 1760“ca. 1740 - ca. 1760”
Serial Number18120“Op de platine gemerkt 18120, Samson London.”
Case Diameter5.3 cm“horlogekast: diameter 5,3 cm”
Watch Diameter4.3 cm“horloge: diameter 4,3 cm”
Dial DescriptionGranulated with applied Roman numerals“De gegranuleerde wijzerplaat is voorzien van reliëfplaatjes waarop de uren in Romeinse cijfers zijn gegraveerd”
Case DecorationChased and engraved scene with figures“Horlogekast van zilver, met een gedreven en geciseleerd tafereel”
ProvenanceW.R.A.C. Count of Rechteren Limpurg“collection W.R.A.C. graaf van Rechteren Limpurg (1865-1929), Arnhem”

Visible details

  • Granulated dial surface
  • Applied relief hour markers in Roman numerals
  • Ajoure center dial ornament
  • Stippled initials 'L.H.V.' on the exterior case

Research qualifications

  • The exact identity of 'Samson' remains broad within historical records.
  • The significance of the stippled initials 'L.H.V.' is unverified.

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

Consulted source

Silver watch, in an embossed silver case

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 5c5897c855

Terms in this record

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

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