Repairing Antique Verge Fusee Pocket Watches —

History, Challenges, and the Realities of Restoration

What is a Verge Fusee Watch?

A Brief History of the Verge Fusee Watch

The verge escapement is one of the oldest mechanical escapements, developed in the late medieval period and adapted to portable watches in the 1500s. By the late 1600s and throughout the 1700s, the verge fusee design became the dominant technology in England and Ireland.

A key feature of these watches is the fusee and chain mechanism, designed to equalize torque from the mainspring. As the mainspring unwinds and loses power, the chain shifts position along the cone-shaped fusee, maintaining more consistent force to the escapement. It was an ingenious solution for its time.

However, by the late 18th and early 19th centuries, advances such as the cylinder escapement and ultimately the lever escapement proved far more accurate and durable. The lever escapement, perfected in the 1800s, dramatically improved timekeeping precision and shock resistance. By the mid-19th century, the verge fusee was largely phased out in favor of these more modern systems.

Why Verge Fusee Watches Are So Difficult to Repair

From a restoration standpoint, verge fusee watches are among the most challenging mechanical timepieces ever made.

1. The Delicate Verge Escapement

The verge escapement operates using a vertical staff (the verge) with two pallets, often referred to as “flags,” that alternately engage the crown wheel teeth. Unlike later escapements, this design involves significant sliding friction.

Over decades—or centuries—of operation:

• The steel pallet flags wear down
• The brass crown wheel teeth become rounded and distorted
• The geometry between the two components gradually changes

As wear progresses, the locking and impulse angles shift. One of the results is that the rate of the watch often increases over time. As material is lost from the pallets and wheel teeth, the effective action of the escapement changes, causing the balance to oscillate differently than originally intended.

Unfortunately, this type of wear is often irreversible. Rebuilding pallet flags or replacing crown wheels requires highly specialized fabrication and compromises historical integrity. In many cases, the wear is simply too severe to justify restoration.

2. Tiny Fusee Chain Repairs

Another major failure point is the fusee chain—an extremely fine, hand-assembled chain consisting of hundreds of miniature riveted links.

Common issues include:

• Broken or stretched links
• Corrosion
• Improper past repairs
• Complete chain failure

Repairing a fusee chain requires patience, magnification, and precision work at a microscopic scale. Replacement chains are not readily available, and fabrication is rarely practical. Even a single broken link can prevent proper operation.

3. Old, Brittle Steel and Aged Brass

The steel used in 18th-century watches is often:

• Brittle from age
• Prone to cracking
• Easily distorted

Screws shear, pivots snap, and springs fracture with minimal stress. Brass plates may also be worn oval at pivot holes due to centuries of friction.

Unlike modern watches, verge fusee watches were not designed with jewel bearings throughout. Many run directly in brass, accelerating wear over time.

Because of these factors, I must often explain to owners that their watch, while historically fascinating, is no longer mechanically viable without extensive reconstruction that may exceed practical or financial reason.

Dating Antique Verge Watches

Dating these watches can be difficult. When a case hallmark is present and recorded, it can provide a reliable estimate of manufacture year. English and Irish hallmarks are particularly helpful when legible.

However, many verge watches:

• Have no recognizable hallmarks
• Were made by lesser-known regional makers
• Contain unsigned movements

In such cases, dating relies on stylistic features, movement layout, engraving style, and construction methods. Also helpful are watch papers. These are round papers that are placed inside the outer case of the watch, and indicate when and by whom it was last serviced. Dates are usually hand written on the back of the papers. These are also used take of the space between the inner and outer case so the inner case does not rattle. Here is an online searchable website for watch papers. Here also are some examples from the following repair case study:

A Rare Repairable Example: William Mather of Ballycastle

Fortunately, while worn—as expected for its age—the escapement geometry remained serviceable, the fusee chain was intact, and the plates had not suffered much pivot wear. After careful cleaning, inspection, and delicate correction of minor issues, the watch ran remarkably well for its age, a testament to the craftsmanship of its original maker. Several of the teeth of the ratchet wheel at the base of the fusee were worn down. I advised the owner to wind the watch slowly and carefully, not to run it often, and wind it only halfway up or less to minimize stress on the mainspring and change.

Disassembly Images

Reassembly after Cleaning

The Reality of Restoration

When restoring verge fusee watches, the goal is not time keeping performance. These watches were never highly accurate by today’s standards. Instead, the objective is:

• Mechanical stability
• Respectful conservation
• Preserving originality
• Returning historical function where feasible

Many verge fusee watches simply cannot be repaired without major reconstruction of worn escapement components. In such cases, preservation as a historical artifact may be the more appropriate path.

But when one can be revived—after more than two centuries—it serves as a remarkable reminder of early horological ingenuity.

Conclusion

The verge fusee pocket watch represents a foundational chapter in timekeeping history. Though phased out in the 19th century in favor of the far more accurate lever escapement, these early watches remain fascinating mechanical survivors.

Repairing them requires patience, restraint, and an understanding of 18th-century construction methods. While many are beyond practical restoration, the rare repairable example—like this William Mather of Ballycastle—offers a glimpse into the craftsmanship and innovation of its era.

If you have an antique verge fusee pocket watch and would like an evaluation, feel free to contact me. Each piece must be assessed individually to determine whether careful restoration is possible. If you would like to initiate the repair of your vintage timepiece visit getting started.

For additional information on watches we work on please visit these pages:  Vintage Rolex repair— Vintage Breitling repair —Vintage Omega repair — Vintage Heuer repair —Bulova Repair, and Pocket Watch Repair. See my FAQ for additional information, and visit Watch Repair Case Studies.