English 18-Carat Gold Half Hunter Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1887
This English half-hunter pocket watch is housed in an 18-carat gold case. The front cover features a chapter ring with blue enamel and a central glass window, enabling time to be read without opening the case.
The front cover is marked with the maker's mark 'EM' in a rectangular frame, while the back cover bears the maker's mark 'FT' in an oval frame alongside a 1900 London hallmark. The white enamel dial is marked with Roman numerals and includes a subsidiary seconds dial and blue steel half-hunter hands. The watch is powered by a keyless, full-plate, gold-plated movement featuring a spring barrel, a simple cock with a garnet endstone, a compensation balance with a blue steel overcoil hairspring, and an English table roller lever escapement with jewelled endstones and screwed-in bearings.
The back of the case is engraved with the Dallas family crest and the motto 'Lux Venit Ab Alto'.
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
- Type
- Half hunter pocket watch
- Hallmark
- London 1900
- Heraldry
- Dallas family crest
- Escapement
- English table roller lever
- Case material
- 18-carat gold
- Movement type
- Keyless full-plate
- Place recorded
- England
- Back cover mark
- FT
- Front cover mark
- EM
Design
- Case and Dial
- This arrangement allows the wearer to view the positions of the blue steel hands and the time marked on the exterior blue enamel chapter ring without opening the cover. The case exhibits signs of personalization through the engraving of the Dallas family crest on the reverse side, accompanied by the Latin motto 'Lux Venit Ab Alto', translating to 'Light comes from above'. The dial is composed of white enamel and displays Roman numerals for the hours. A recessed subsidiary seconds dial is positioned at the six o'clock mark. The watch serial number '1403' is visible on the dial, and the source notes that this number matches those found on the internal components, confirming the assembly integrity of the casing and mechanism.
- Visible features
- • Blue enamel chapter ring on front cover • Engraved Dallas family crest on case back • Keyless winding mechanism • Subsidiary seconds dial at the six o'clock position
- Signatures and Marks
- Documentation of the object's provenance and manufacture is derived from the marks struck onto the gold case. The front cover bears the mark 'EM' contained within a rectangular border. The back cover features the mark 'FT' within an oval border and is accompanied by a hallmark representing London for the year 1900. The source identifies the engraved crest as belonging to Sir George Edward Dallas, Bart, of Petsal, Staffordshire.
- Movement and Escapement
- The internal mechanism is a keyless, full-plate movement finished with a gold plating. It is constructed with a moving spring barrel located beneath the bridge. The regulation system utilizes a compensation balance equipped with a blue steel overcoil hairspring to stabilize timekeeping. The escapement is an English table roller lever type. The movement incorporates a simple cock with a garnet endstone, and the pivot points of the escapement feature jewelled endstones and screwed-in bearings.
Identification
- Serial number
- 1403
- 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: Exact identity of makers EM and FT remains unverified
- Research required: Specific attribution of the heraldry to Sir George Edward Dallas is presented by the source without independent confirmation