YOU ARE BEING OFFERED: a 1728 Richards London Gold Repousse Verge Fusee Pocket Watch Square Pillars  This is very early gold gilded repousse case verge fusee with square pillars by John  Richards of London about 1728.  This is as it came out of the collection.  From the limited notes: this was added to the collection in early 1990s and was never worked on. The important ornamental parts of the case and movement appear to be all there. This is a watch that is ready for restoration.  Because of the condition issues, this watch is being sold as is.
PLEASE CONTACT US WITH QUESTIONS.  CASE: pair case. Outer  and inner case was gold gilded.  Both the outer and inner case appear to close tightly. Hinge pin on inner case is missing. There is a very old repair at the clasp.  Inner case seems fine but gilding on outside is heavily worn.  CONDITION:  movement does not run, missing parts. Missing balance wheel, main spring and barrel, hands, screws and assorted gears. The dial is in good condition for age, but was apparently cracked and repaired many years ago; please see photos.  SERIAL NUMBER AND DATING:  serial number is 23728.  I have worked with various inventory numbering systems for different industries. In industry it would not be uncommon to have an inventory number that included the year date.  According to G.H. Brailie, Watchmakers and Clockmakers of the World Volume  1,  John Richards was producing watches in London in 1733. That could indicate that this was the 728 movement of 1723 or the 237th movement of 1728. A single maker, producing 728 watches in a year seems to be a great number. Producing 237 movements in one year seems reasonable. I present this only as a theory of historical interest based on many years of handling verge fusees and welcome the thoughts of others.  Regardless of any theories, I believe it is fair to date this watch to the 1728-33 period both from the maker and the style of the movement. The date of 1733 would make this a very early watch.  SIZE: diameter of movement at dial is approximately 37 mm. Depth off movement is 20 mm. Outer case  from  hinge to clasp is 50 mm. Back of outer case to top of bulls eye crystal 27 mm.TERMS OF SALE
GENERAL: We try very hard to accurately describe our watch material and please our customers. Please email questions. We try responding within 24 hours, excluding holidays and weekends. Sometimes, cyberspace eats email or they get lost. If you do not get an answer please try again! Often questions can best be answered by phone so let me know and I will send you a phone numberThis item comes from a large collection of watch material that was created over 70 years by three generations. I have been retained to sell this collection. I am knowledgeable in the history of watches, but I have no experience at repair.If you are buying an antique watch to wear as a timekeeper, remember it is a mechanical antique and will need expert maintenance. The last serviced (repaired, cleaned and oiled) on any of our watches would have been over 20 years ago. If you are looking for an "accurate" time keeper, I generally suggest buying a new digital watch or using a cell phone. I try to provide as complete and accurate descriptions in my listings and pass on any notes about the particular watch as I can. Please review this listing before committing to buy. A watch running on my desk for more than 20 minutes indicates to me that the watch is in "running" condition and that all the parts should be there. This does not indicate future performance or accuracy of timekeeping. This does not mean that a watch will continue running during and after shipping. If you are not familiar with buying vintage antique watches, please review the eBay buyer guides and other suggestions that can be found on the internet. I am a member of The National Clock and Watch Association (NAWCC) and they are an excellent source of buying and historic information about watches. RETURNS: Sales of watches are considered "as is" and "final." We try to be flexible and before returning, we ask that you discuss the issue over the telephone or by Skype: This is to try to work with you and see if we can help to solve the issue quickly. On returns, is buyer responsibility for return shipping with tracking/insurance. SHIPPING: NO SHIPPING OUTSIDE OF USA. We try to ship within 1 business day of receipt of payment. If you are outside of the US, please use The Global Shipping Program offered by eBay. PAYMENT: Only PayPal. We ship only to a PayPal verified addresses. 308