I found this necklace at an estate sale a few years ago. I had no idea what it was, but it was only $4.00, so I grabbed it.
After some inquiries online, I discovered that it was made from Georgian fusee pocket watch-cocks.
Apparently, when fusee watches were no longer being made, watchmakers took them apart and created jewelry from the internal parts.
These watch parts date about 1780 to 1840.
@Stracci Your necklace is beautiful & sooooo cool. How unique! I don’t own any Georgian jewelry - my fine jewelry is mid-Victorian onward. So, was this part functional in the pocket watches? Do you wear this wonderful necklace?
@Patina
I believe the watch-cock was a balance in the watch.
Here is what a watch website says about them:
“From a technical point of view, the balance cock is the balance bearing opposite the clockface side. With pockets watches from the 18th and 19th centuries, great value was placed on finely working the visible parts. The bottom plate and, in particular, the cock itself therefore lent themselves to rich decoration. In verge watches the cock has decorative moulding practically throughout, which covers the whole balance. The movements of English pocket watches have one hinge, i.e. the cock is attached with only 1 screw, resulting in the highly decorative, typical form of English cocks”
I do wear it occasionally! It looks good with scoop necked shirts. Each piece is about 1" in diameter, so it’s a big look!
@Stracci I went to that original link - it was a fascinating read. From what I gathered, it seems that yours are most likely English. I can understand how these would be appreciated, and sought after, by collectors.
I know very little about other kinds of jewelry, because I’ve mostly made Native American jewelry my thing (good thing I picked one, I would spend too much money otherwise ). But it’s been really fun learning, and this necklace is just way cool! My dad had a pocket watch that was old, but he died in '81, and I don’t know what happened to it.
So what also intrigues me is that it appears that all the other faces are odd little men or goblins or something, and then there’s King George! I wonder what the meaning is behind all of that… It has a very Dickensy (word makeup alert) feel to me.
). But it’s been really fun learning, and this necklace is just way cool! My dad had a pocket watch that was old, but he died in '81, and I don’t know what happened to it.