Hello Steve,
Thank you for sending in this pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to do that for you this morning.
TITLE:
Gent’s, silver, oignon case, Continental verge/fusee, key wound and set, champleve open face pocket watch, made by or for Michael Wagner Breslau, Germany, possibly made in France, circa 1690-1700.
PROVENANCE:
It was bought in Germany back in the 60's.”
DESCRIPTION:
CASE: 50 mm in diameter. This is an Oignon type of silver pocket watch with open face and no hallmarks inside the Oignon case, other than a marking for the casemaker, possibly IP with a crown (suggests a French origin for this watch). Flat round pendant and round silver bow located at the twelve position. The back cover has a round filled plug (winding aperture) adjacent to the center. The hinge suggests there are either two covers or the movement is hinged to the case. I am only shown a single cover.
DIAL: Champleve silvered dial with engraved and enameled roman hours, diamond shaped half hour markers, quarter hour track to the inside with black dots and fleur-de-Ly’s half hour markers, absent minute track, dial center engraved for watchmaker Michael Wagner (c. 1681-1704), Bresla (Breslau) with silver birds and foliage. There is a single steel beetle hand. MOVEMENT: The dial plate and the back plate are connected by tapered and divided Egyptian pillars and a single rounded gilt brass vasiform shaped pillar, pinned at the back plate. This is a verge escapement with its associated contrate wheel, with a chain driven fusee movement. The back plate has a Continental balance cock (most commonly Swiss or French) secured at either end with blued steel screws. It is shaped in a floral and foliate manner with a central rosette. There is a three spoke white metal balance wheel, adjacent silver Arabic marked regulator.
CONDITION: Case – Fair - Moderate oxidation of the silvered case with a plugged winding hole at the back. Moderate amount of speckled oxidation throughout the inside of the cover. Dial – Fair with some dimpling around the seven, and disturbance at the two position along with oxidative changes in various parts of the dial with slight loss of enameling. Overall fair. Movement – The gilt grass movement is good although the engraved balance cock does not cover the balance wheel as one finds in English made watches. The vasiform pillar is not in keeping with the other Egyptian pillars and may be a replacement. However, Overall, in good shape. This movement could well have been made in France for this watchmaker in Breslau.
COMPARABLES:
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/verge-fusee-pocket-watch-sun-moon-dial-montre-coq-spindeluhr-oignon-catalino-/383951736773?hash=item59654e8fc5%3Ag%3AbbAAAOSwcGtgJjh5&nma=true&si=E6dVeBT2mQsntgdmgUSgAun2Bsw%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (From the same era this example sold for $2762 this year)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-French-Silver-Verge-Oignon-circa-1720-/324386124305?hash=item4b86eb7211%3Ag%3AaLUAAOSwgMpfbgHB&nma=true&si=E6dVeBT2mQsntgdmgUSgAun2Bsw%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (With porcelain dial sold for less than $4000 this year)
~https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/a-silver-oignon-verge-pocket-watch-with-alarm-xvKFtWRog (This watch sold for $4000 twenty years ago and is now devalued by about 60% in its fair market value, i.e., approximately $1600)
~https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/single-hand-pocket-watch-in-bulb-shape-with-2-clock-faces-front-shows-94c8rQDUF_ (Sold in 2017 for $3000)
~https://www.sothebys.com/fr/auctions/ecatalogue/lot.218.html/2012/important-watches (Sold in 2012 at Sotheby’s for $2125, made in France. Sellinhttps://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/19366139_a-french-gilt-brass-cased-verge-oignon-pocket-wa g a decade ago I would drop the price by about 40-50%)
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/19366139_a-french-gilt-brass-cased-verge-oignon-pocket-wa (sold in 2013 for $2206, less than that now.)
PRICING:
This is most likely a French-made oignon case late 17th century verge/fusee watch, in Fair condition, and made for a watchmaker in Breslau, then part of Germany. I would think the fair market value of this watch, despite its defects should be in the range of $1250-$1500. At least that is my opinion. I am certain you have your own opinion since you have examined this watch in person and I have not.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com for your interesting pocket watch appraisal.
My best,
David