Hippolyte Parrenin silver niello open-face pocket watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1900–1920
This open-face pocket watch dates to circa 1900–1920. According to the seller, the gilt brass movement is signed HP for French maker Hippolyte Parrenin of Villers-le-Lac and features a lever escapement.
The solid silver case, numbered 35503, carries Huguenin frères marks and French swan import hallmarks alongside niello vertical line decoration. The white enamel dial is inscribed 'CHRONOMÈTRE' beneath a radiant sun motif containing interlaced letters. It displays black Arabic numerals for 12 hours, red Arabic numerals for 24 hours, an outer railway minute track, blued Breguet hands, and a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock.
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
- Open-face pocket watch
- Material
- Solid silver with niello decoration
- Case Maker
- Huguenin frères
- Escapement
- Anchor escapement
- Case Number
- 35503
- Movement Maker
- Hippolyte Parrenin
- Place recorded
- France
- Maker / attribution
- Hippolyte Parrenin
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial with black Arabic hour numerals, red inner/outer 24-hour markers, and an outer railway minute track • Dial inscribed 'CHRONOMÈTRE' arched over a radiating sun emblem enclosing interlaced letters • Blued steel Breguet-style hands with a small subsidiary seconds subdial at 6 o'clock • Front bezel decorated with alternating radial silver and niello stripes • Bow and fluted winding crown situated at the 12 o'clock pendant position
- Mechanical Configuration
- The watch is powered by a gilt brass movement signed 'HP', corresponding to the French watchmaker Hippolyte Parrenin. The mechanism includes an anchor escapement and jeweled pivots, with steel components including the screws, crown wheel, ratchet, ratchet pawl, and the advance and retard index. The watch is wound and set via the pendant crown, which features a five-pointed star in the center.
- Dial and Aesthetic Features
- The white enamel dial features a sun motif containing the interlaced monogram 'BL'. The dial includes black Arabic hour numerals, a black railway minute track, and red 24-hour markers. The hands are blued steel Breguet-style for hours and minutes, with a burnished steel second hand on the subsidiary dial at 6 o'clock. The dial bears the inscription 'CHRONOMÈTRE'.
- Case Construction and Hallmarking
- The pocket watch is housed in a solid silver case with niello decoration featuring vertical lines and a coat of arms. The case number 35503 is engraved on the dust cover. The watch was produced by the Huguenin frères manufacture of Le Locle, identified by the 'HF' maker's mark in an oval on the dust cover. The case features French swan import hallmarks, indicating a silver purity of 800/1000, which were in use for imported cases from 1893 to 1970. Markings are located on the dust cover, case border, and pendant head, with the letter 'P' associated with the Pontarlier office of guarantees.
Identification
- Reference
- 1609444
- Serial number
- 35503
- 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: Movement signature, calibre details, and rear case crest are source-reported and not visible in the supplied front photograph.
- Research required: The dial inscription 'CHRONOMÈTRE' is a period marketing designation rather than certified chronometer performance.