JOHN BUSHMAN, LONDON | AN EXCEPTIONAL SILVER PAIR CASED VERGE WATCH WITH OUTER CASE WITH MANUAL PERPETUAL CALENDAR, INDICATIONS FOR SAINTS' DAYS, SEASONS, RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS, SUNRISE, SUNSET, LENGTHS OF DAYLIGHT HOURSCIRCA 1710, NO. 1252

• Movement: gilded full plate, verge escapement, winged masked balance cock pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage and centred with a shell, broad pierced cock foot similarly engraved, silver regulation disc, crested Egyptian pillars, fusee and chain, signed and numbered John Bushman, London, no.1252, additionally with B stamped to top plate• Dial: silver champlevé, Roman numerals filled with black wax, half hour divisions between and to the ring beneath, outer Arabic minute ring, all against a stippled ground, blued steel beetle and poker hands, gilded outer ring, dial centre with banners surrounded by chased and engraved scrolls and signed Bushman, London• Cases: plain silver inner, the back with shuttered winding aperture, case numbered 1252 and with maker's mark IW incuse (probably John Willoughby) • outer case with square hinge, the bezel engraved with the months and their respective number of days, the case back divided into 12 segments corresponding to each of the months shown to the bezel, each segment headed with the sign of the zodiac and their respective symbol, named saints’ days and dates of Christian festivals, indication for beginning and end of the seasons, calculation tables beneath, the centre with two revolving discs for calculating length of daylight hours, sunrise and sunset and future dates, outer case with maker's mark WS beneath a crown incuse for William Sherwood

Antiquorum Geneva, 15 October 2006, lot 346

Dial: There is a 'B' stamped to the back of the under-dial plate. Dial with light scuffs and scratches, some losses to the black was infill of the numerals. Inner case with indentations to the band as expected. A very small split to the shutter for the winding aperture. Case: Outer case retains good definition to engraved tables and calendar, the two central revolving discs with some rubbing and loss of definition to their surface. Movement: Running at time of cataloguing and overall appears to be in good clean condition, the top right of the crest to one of the Egyptian pillars has broken off.
"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."

The outer case of this watch has an extraordinarily intricate series of calculating tables. Indeed, their complexity is such that detailed planning and preparatory drawings would have been essential to prepare for the engraver's work. John Bushman was born in Augsburg in 1661 as Johannes Buschman III. He moved to London where in 1690, at the age of 29, he married the 23 year old Mary Wyatt in the Parish of Westminster. In 1692 he was made a Brother in the Clockmakers' Company, becoming an Assistant in the Company in 1720. [See: B. Loomes, The Early Clockmakers of Great Britain, NAG Press 1981, p.129].