19th Century Yellow Metal Pocket Watch Key
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
19th century
This lot features a nineteenth-century pocket watch key fashioned from yellow metal. It lacks maker marks or official hallmarks; the auction house notes that it tests as 10kt gold on a Thermo Scientific machine.
Measuring approximately 40 mm in length, the key has an approximate weight of 4.68 grams. Its design comprises an open circular body encircled by spiral reeding, flanked by rounded finials leading to an upper suspension loop and a lower cylindrical winding pipe.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Date
- 19th century
- Type
- Pocket watch key
- Length
- 40mm
- Weight
- approx 4.68g
- Markings
- Unmarked
- Material testing
- Tests as 10kt gold on Thermo Scientific machine
Design
- Visible features
- • Open circular center decorated with diagonal rope or spiral reeding • Swiveling suspension loop attached to a rounded terminal at the top • Winding pipe featuring grooved horizontal banding near the tip
- Visual Structure and Decorative Elements
- Direct visual inspection shows that the central section consists of an open circular center decorated with diagonal rope or spiral reeding. The cataloguer notes that the object is unmarked, meaning no maker's stamps, trade marks, or official hallmarks are recorded in the source description.
- Object Classification and Physical Metrics
- The item is catalogued by the auctioneer as a 19th-century yellow metal pocket watch key. It measures 40 mm in length and has an approximate weight of 4.68 grams. Visual observation documents a winding pipe featuring grooved horizontal banding near the tip, as well as an upper swiveling suspension loop attached to a rounded terminal at the top.
- Material Testing and Cataloguing Limitations
- The auction description states that the piece 'tests as 10kt gold on Thermo Scientific machine.' Because this identification relies solely on machine testing and the piece lacks hallmarks, the exact composition across all components or any interior core remains unverified in the text. The auction documentation does not record the interior gauge, profile, or bore size of the winding pipe, leaving its specific compatibility with watch arbors unstated.
Identification
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Metal composition is based solely on source machine testing; no official hallmarks are present
- Research required: Internal dimensions and gauge of the winding pipe are not specified