104th Auction
2021/5/22
Lot 193
John Wilter
A London triple-cased "repoussé" verge pocket watch with date and polychrome enamel medallion made for the Dutch market, so called "Dutch Forgery"
The middle case is elaborately ornamented with chased flowers and leaves and an inserted central medallion on the back. The polychrome enamel painting shows a galant scene with a young man trying to seduce his beloved with freshly picked cherries.
In his book, Brian Loomes describes John Wilter as a watchmaker who was active in London from 1760 to 1784 and presumably produced many verge pocket watches for the Dutch market. Other sources say that John Wilter is a made-up name because they see no proof that the man was truly a watchmaker or that he even existed. In that context his pieces are often labelled "Dutch forgeries"; these are contemporary forgeries of English watches dating from the second half of the 18th century that were usually made in continental Europe. The watches were of inferior quality and signed with a fictitious English name and the designation "London" for marketing reasons.
Some timepieces made by John Wilter belong to important museums and collections such as the British Museum in London.