These elaborately engraved gilt watch-cocks were part of the mechanism of pocket watches with verge escarpments made in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. They acted as a cover to protect the watch movement and to cover the balance-wheel.
Each watch-cock is unique, hand crafted by specialists. This protective cover was at first quite plain but gradually they were pieced, engraved and chased, turning into works of art. The French call them ‘coqs de montré’ which somehow has a nicer sound.
The watch cocks appear to be oriental in looks, Chinese or Indian, and I have seen them sold online as such. However, they were usually English made, as England was the centre of fine watchmaking at the time. A few were made in France and those were more likely to be silver. Also, English ones had a tail or foot while the French ones didn’t.
The tails on English watch cocks were generally solid from around 1690 to about 1720, and then were became open-work designs. The early watch cocks had a basket engraved at the join of tail and the body, with lovey floral lines arising from the basket. These floral designs remained once the basket design was replaced by a mask or face.
The watch cocks are not gold but, instead, are gilded, although some historians say they are made of pinchbeck, which was an alloy of zinc and copper developed by Christopher Pinchbeck in the late 17th century and which imitates gold. A few were made of silver and a few were enamelled but these are rare.
Some have floral designs, grotesque faces, dolphins, birds, stars, crescents or disks. Many look like lace. Verge watches were replaced with new watch mechanisms in the 19th century and the Victorians began to turn the ornate watch-cocks into jewellery. Necklaces, brooches, fob chains, even rings were made out of the cocks.
navette jewellery 