DESCRIPTION:
APW - Stephen Van Wyck, New York, verge fusee presumably of English manufacture and marked for this early American retailer, 56mm, silver OF original pair cases bearing London hallmarks for 1801, "T C" marking in cameo for casemaker Thomas Carpenter, replaced white enamel dial, KWKS (key not included with this lot), verge escapement, gilt mvt with pierced and foliate scrolled balance cock with an urn at its neck, s#2398. An attractive contract marked watch for this early American retailer; in the context of early American history the 1801 case hallmark date aligns with the end of the term of office for the second U.S. President, John Adams, and the beginning of the term of office for the third U.S. President, Thomas Jefferson. Although the present watch is presumably of fully English manufacture, we have chosen to present it among the American portion of this auction's offerings due to its primary interest being its early American contract marking. Regarding Stephen Van Wyck, the following information is available at Richard Newman's excellent www.colonialwatches.com website, "Stephen Van Wyck was listed as a silversmith, clock and watchmaker in New York City directories from 1796-1825. However, it is apparent that he was working in the trade well prior to 1796, minimally by 1792, based upon surviving watches. Van Wyck's shop was located at 267 Pearl Street, just a few doors from the well known Effingham Embree. Upon Embree's retirement in 1797, he continued business at Embree's location advertising in the New-York Daily Advertiser (May 26, 1797) 'successor to Effingham Embree, No. 275 Pearl Street' (Ganczarczyk, 734-741)."
CONDITION:
Mvt: NR, ticking in some positions but stopping in others, overhaul needed, excellent-plus cosmetic mvt condition overall, excellent gilt tone, some typical fine to micro-fine scratches around pillar positions; dial is believed to be a replacement due to presence of additional empty dial foot holes with adjacent witness marks from pinning in mvt's dial plate, present dial cosmetically excellent with some scattered fine scratches, very faint hl right of 9, very small light blue hl at edge at 9 with tiny adjacent edge nick under bezel; excellent hands; outer case shows medium wear, a moderate overall patina with some scattered patches of darker toning, small ding below-right of rear center, few pinpoint nicks elsewhere, button latch good though surface of button is caved in at one area and has an associated small area of surface break; inner case is missing one knuckle from the right side of its bezel hinge and bezel leaving gap to case body when closed along right side, inner case shows light wear, a circumferential indentation, small protruding ding at upper-center of rear, few small nicks elsewhere; bow pivots freely; domed glass bull's-eye crystal has scattered short scratches and has an edge chip near 12.
ESTIMATE:
$500
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$900
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