Robert Higgs, London - A mid 18th century quarter repeating pair cased pocket watch,

Robert Higgs, London - A mid 18th century quarter repeating pair cased pocket watch, circa 1740, the outer case, 50mm diameter, with pierced and engraved bezel, verso decorated with a repoussé classical scene within a scroll edged border depicting a woman holding an anchor (symbol of hope) being crowned with a laurel wreath by Father Time above a child holding a lamb (symbol of innocence), pulse piece sprung stud between 6 and 7 o'clock, the cover activated by a decorated push button at 3 o'clock, open faced pocket watch with unsigned white dial, 34mm diameter, blued beetle and poker hands, black Roman numerals and chemin de fer chapter ring with outer Arabic minute indicators under a convex crystal, front loading gilt full plate movement signed ROBT. HIGGS LONDON 2435, with plunger activated repeating mechanism, pierced and engraved winged balance cock with mascaron at the neck and substantial diamond endstone over a three arm balance, verge escapement with chain fusée, silvered regulation and 4 pinned cylindrical pillars, two polished steel hammers with square acting faces repeating on a bell to the inside case back, all under a brass signed and numbered dust cover, pulse piece to the band between 6 and 7 o'clock, case, 42mm diameter, stirrup shaped pendant bow, the sides with pierced sound frets and engraved with scrolls, wildlife and foliage, a townscape and 2435 beneath the pendant and a grotesque at 6 o'clock, verso with pierced rim, engraved starburst decoration to the centre and offset winding aperture, inner with bell secured by a single screw, casemaker's mark of Stephen Goujon struck twice under the bell, unmarked metal tests as 22ct gold (apart from the dust cover), 138.1g gross and presented with the winding keyRobert Higgs was seemingly a well-regarded London watch and clockmaker. He is recorded in three entries in the Clockmakers' Company List of Masters and Apprentices, (transcribed from Atkins' list of 1931 by Jeremy Lancelotte Evans). He was bound on 4th September 1699 to Richard Blundell, free on 19th September 1714 and subsequently took on a total of 6 apprentices between 1716 and 1731, the last of which was his son, Peter. Robert Higgs registered his mark of RH within a rectangular cartouche with the London Assay Office on 25th October 1721.Subsequent research kindly carried out by Richard Edgcumbe of the Victoria & Albert museum (Curator of Metalwork and author of 'The Art of the Gold Chaser in Eighteenth Century London' - the definitive reference work on the subject) suggests that there is strong evidence that the outer case was made by David Dupont. This goldsmith was working in London from the 1730s until his death in the late 1760s and is known to have signed an outer case on a watch which also has an inner case by Stephen Goujon. Edgcumbe's book includes an illustration of a signed example of Dupont's work with the same theme of Time crowning Hope, and he believes it reasonable to think that the two cases were chased by the same hand.Casemaker Goujon (the name suggests a possible Huguenot connection) was registered on 8th April 1720 at Porter Street, Corner of Newport Alley.