Peter Garon, London

• Movement: gilded full plate, verge escapement, decoratively pierced and engraved balance cock with scrolling foliage inhabited by a bird with outstretched wings, dolphins and two birds’ head streamers to the base, the broad and large cock foot with a half-figure holding a basket of fruit upon her head, plain three arm balance with spring, fusee and chain with large barrel and high count train providing long duration, worm setup below the barrel, tulip and round baluster pillars, signed and numbered Peter Garon, London, 481
• Dial: silver champlevé, Roman numerals with half hour divisions between and to the ring beneath, outer Arabic minute ring, date aperture with gilded disc by 3 o'clock, blued steel tulip and poker hands, outer gilded ring, cartouche to the centre signed Garon, banner beneath signed London, a winged putto below
• Case: plain silver inner case with ring pendant • outer case with intricate engraved decorative scheme consisting of scrolls, swags, grotesque masks within acanthus leaves, a pair of exotic birds, two putti either side of the central reserve containing a scene of Orpheus charming the animals with his music, band decorated with grapes and vine leaves, front bezel with acanthus leaves and 4 cherub heads • both cases with maker's mark AR conjoined in a cameo for Adam Roumieu

Terence Camerer Cuss, The English Watch 1585-1970, 2009, pp. 128-129, pl. 63

Cecil Clutton & George Daniels, Watches, 1965, figs. 210-211, third edition, 1979, figs. 111a-b
T.P. & T.A. Camerer Cuss, The Camerer Cuss Book of Antique Watches, 1976, pp. 86-87, pl. 35
T.P. Camerer Cuss, The Country Life Book of Watches, 1967, p. 33, pl. 30

Movement running and appears to be in good clean condition at time of cataloguing, date ring also advancing. Dial in good refreshed condition with some re-filling of black pitch to numerals. Inner case with light scuffs and scratches, slight depression to the band, repair to pendant visible to inside of case. Outer case with some loss of definition to the central scene, however, composition is still clear to see and the surrounding decoration retains good definition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

This impressive and rare watch is of extraordinarily large size. The movement is designed so that it could be run for approximately 8 days between windings and is one of very few such long duration English movements from the period. In order to achieve this, the movement has a large barrel and fusee and their size has required the maker, in order to save space, to fit two slimmer rounded baluster pillars around them (these are in place of his otherwise broader tulip pillars). There is also a long wheel train and a remote canon pinion. To the movement’s backplate, the cock’s foot is noticeably larger than the table and both cock and foot are elegantly decorated with birds, dolphins and a half-figure. The outer case is decorated with a complex design including swags, acanthus leaves, exotic birds, grotesque masks and putti, whilst the central scene depicts Orpheus Charming the animals with his music (Ovid’s Metamorphoses, 10: 86-105). 

Peter Garon was born circa 1673 to Hugenot parentage and apprenticed to Richard Baker (see lot 8 in this auction) until 1694. Brian Loomes in his book, The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain, notes that Garon was initially refused freedom of the Clockmakers’ Company as he was deemed an ‘alien’ but was later granted freedom of the City by the Lord Mayor and finally made a Freeman of the Clockmakers’ Company in August 1694. Garon appears to have worked at St. Bartholomew’s Lane End and later at St. Giles Cripplegate [op cit. pp. 243-244]. F. J . Britten notes that Garon was declared bankrupt in the London Gazette of 1706 but he continued to work and his son, also called Peter, was apprenticed to him in 1713. Garon’s career finally ended in insolvency in 1723.