Gold and Enamel Ball Watch with Chain
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late 19th century
This Swiss ball watch from the late 19th century features a spherical case decorated with dark blue translucent enamel over an engine-turned background, enhanced by white and gold floral motifs.
The watch is suspended from a matching 650 mm gold chain, which consists of delicate links interspersed with blue enameled cylinders featuring central white enamel bands. The white enamel dial displays blue Arabic numerals, with the number 12 highlighted in red, and gold minute markers. The technical configuration of the movement is unusual, featuring a three-tier design with the wheel train positioned above the going barrel.
The mechanism includes a compensation balance, a blue steel spiral hairspring, and a club-foot right-angle lever escapement. Winding and setting are achieved by rotating the upper hemisphere against the lower one. The watch is presented in its original custom-fitted red Moroccan leather box, which is signed by the London retailer Carrington & Co.
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
- Ball watch
- Case shape
- Ball Watch (two hemispheres)
- Escapement
- Club foot right angle lever
- Box material
- Red Moroccan leather
- Chain length
- 650 mm
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Winding mechanism
- Rotation of the upper hemisphere
- Maker / attribution
- Swiss
- Movement architecture
- Three-tier design
Design
- Visible features
- • Case rotates at the equator to wind and set the time • Dial displays numerals 1 through 11 in blue, with red 12 • Chain alternates between chain links and blue/white enamel decorative cylinders • Box interior features gold-stamped retailer signature
- Movement and Escapement
- The Swiss-made movement is constructed with a distinctive three-tier architecture. In this arrangement, the wheel train is positioned above the going barrel. The technical specification includes a compensation balance paired with a blue steel spiral hairspring. The escapement is configured as a club-foot right-angle lever type. Additionally, the assembly features a polished steel regulator, which is positioned within the gilded framework of the movement.
- Retailer and Presentation
- The watch and chain are presented in a bespoke, fitted case attributed to the London retailer Carrington & Co, located on Regent Street. The exterior of the box is finished in red Moroccan leather, detailed with gold-stamped lines. The interior of the box features a cream-colored velvet lining, shaped to hold the spherical watch and its chain. The retailer's name and address are embossed in gold within the lid, confirming the object's provenance as sold through this establishment.
- Case and Enamel Decoration
- The object is housed in a spherical gold case designed as a ball watch, utilizing the rotating hemispheres for the winding and setting of the mechanism. The external surfaces of the gold case are decorated with translucent dark blue enamel, which is applied over a patterned engine-turned background. This blue surface is further embellished with delicate hand-painted floral motifs in white and gold. The watch is accompanied by a matching necklace chain measuring 650 mm in length, which incorporates small metallic links paired with cylindrical segments finished in blue and white enamel.
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: Internal mechanical condition and potential wear to enamel or movement components are unverified
- Research required: Exact metallurgical composition of the gold components is not specified