J. Ullmann & Co. Quarter-Repeating Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1890
This J. Ullmann & Co. quarter-repeating pocket watch, identified by movement number 17747 and case number 156, dates to approximately 1890. The firm maintained operations in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, alongside significant presence in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tientsin, and Vladivostok.
Housed in a four-body silver hunting case, the exterior features satin finishes and covers decorated with distinct imagery, including a hunting scene on one side and a log cabin on the other. The watch is wound and set via a keyless mechanism. The dial, constructed of white enamel, displays Roman numerals within a gilt oval cartouche, complemented by gilt dots and Arabic five-minute numerals. The movement is a gilt bar caliber, jeweled to the center with two screwed chatons.
It incorporates a straight-line lever escapement, a cut bimetallic balance, and a blued steel Breguet overcoil hairspring, all controlled by an index regulator.
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
- Dial
- White enamel with Roman numerals
- Type
- Quarter repeating pocket watch
- Maker
- J. Ullmann & Co.
- Diameter
- 48.5 mm
- Movement
- Gilt bar movement
- Case type
- Four-body silver hunting case
- Case Serial
- 156
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Movement Serial
- 17747
- Maker / attribution
- J. Ullmann & Co.
Design
- Visible features
- • Hunting scene decoration on the case cover • Log cabin decoration on the opposing case cover • Coin-edge case band
- Case and Aesthetic Decoration
- The watch is enclosed in a four-body silver hunting case that measures 48.5 mm in diameter. The exterior surfaces are finished with a satin texture and feature a coin-edge band. The hinged covers are embellished with contrasting engraved themes: one side depicts a hunting scene, while the reverse side features a log cabin design. The dial is white enamel and incorporates a gilt oval cartouche containing Roman numeral hour markers. The layout is further detailed with Arabic five-minute numerals around the periphery and a subsidiary seconds register. The piece is fitted with gilt fancy hands. The dial itself bears the signature of the firm.
- Movement and Mechanical Details
- Internally, the timepiece is powered by a gilt bar-style movement. It is jeweled to the center and features two screwed chatons. The regulation of the timekeeping is achieved via an index regulator acting upon a blued steel Breguet overcoil hairspring. The escapement is a standard straight-line lever type, paired with a cut bimetallic balance wheel. The movement is fully wound and set using a keyless mechanism, making it a functional quarter-repeating device, as stated in the documentation. The movement carries the individual serial number 17747.
- Signatures and Reported Condition
- The watch is signed on both the dial and the hinged cuvette, identifying the maker as J. Ullmann & Co. of La Chaux-de-Fonds, with commercial operations listed in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tientsin, and Vladivostok. The auction description provides a grading for the watch, noting the case as good but slightly worn. The dial is reported to have a hairline fracture.
Identification
- Reference
- 156
- Serial number
- 17747
- 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: Condition report indicates movement repair is required
- Research required: Hairline crack in the enamel dial