Good evening all-I am. new to this forum, so please forgive my possible mis-use of terms and language.
I purchased a watch recently, and I am interested in the maker of the case. The watch is British circa 1780’s signed by Thomas Radford of Leeds. The silver case is not hallmarked, so posters on a watch forum seem to have arrived at a consensus that the movement was likely sent to the US, and the case made there, apparently not an uncommon thing . . There is only a serial number and the stamped letters C.T on the case …The letters look separately stamped, and do not have a border around them. The watch repair fellow is convinced the case is the original one. The only silversmith I have found listed in the US during that period with the initials CT is Cornelius Tiebout, who actually was an. apprentice of John Burger of New York at the time, but became a very famous and successful Copperplate engraver/artist. I assume his inclusion as an apprentice in the book is because of his later fame, but perhaps because some of his silver work is out there. The source did not show a mark for him, but assume as an apprentice he would not have had a formal registered mark. Maybe that is why the letters are stamped separately and not a formal master’s stamp. I read that he did side work as an apprentice, mostly engraving, to earn extra money. I found one of his early engravings on line, with C.T Sculp. (Sculptor) at the bottom right corner. The C.T is very similar to the letters on the watch case. It seems to me that a skilled apprentice might choose making watch cases to earn extra money (if allowed to) as they were small and didn’t need much silver to make.
Does anyone have any knowledge about him, or know if he also made silver as an apprentice on the side, not just engraving? I am new to this forum, and will send photos if I can figure out how to do it
I have photos of the CT on the watch case as well as the CT on the engraving. Thanks! Regards, Cliff W