Jules Jürgensen Secondes Foudroyantes Pocket Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1870
This hunting-cased, keyless pocket watch, numbered 11762, was produced by Jules Jürgensen in Switzerland, specifically for the North American market around 1870.
The watch is constructed in 18k pink gold and features a 'bassine et filets' four-body case. The timepiece features Jürgensen's patented bow-setting mechanism, with the bezel engraved 'Patent 1867 January 15'. The white enamel dial displays radial Roman numerals and an outermost 1/5th seconds track. The movement is a 20-ligne nickel caliber, finished with 25 jewels, a straight-line counterpoised lever escapement, and a cut bimetallic compensation balance with an off-center index regulator featuring a Jürgensen micrometer scale.
A unique functional aspect includes the independent seconds and diablotine locking automatically when the hunting case cover is closed.
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
- Hunting-cased, keyless pocket watch with independent seconds
- Maker
- Jules Jürgensen
- Market
- North American
- Patents
- Patent 1867 January 15
- Case Material
- 18K pink gold
- Serial Number
- 11762
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Movement Caliber
- 20 ligne
- Maker / attribution
- Jules Jürgensen
Design
- Case and Dial
- The timepiece is housed in a four-body, hunting-style case manufactured in 18k pink gold. The case features a 'bassine et filets' design with polished surfaces and an engine-turned case band. A significant horological feature of the case design is the patent bow-setting mechanism, with the bezel clearly engraved indicating a patent date of January 15, 1867. The interior of the case back bears an inscription dated 1905, and the watch is completed with a glazed gold cuvette. The dial is white enamel, presenting radial Roman numerals for the hours and an outer track graduated for minutes. The outermost perimeter of the dial features a track for 1/5th seconds, which complements the subsidiary 1/5th seconds jump diablotine. The watch is fitted with blued-steel 'Breguet' hands, although the auction description reports that these are damaged.
- Visible features
- • Bezel engraved with patent date of 1867 • White enamel dial with subsidiary diablotine seconds • Jürgensen signature on dial • Bow-setting crown mechanism visible
- Provenance and Marks
- The watch is documented as having been manufactured for the North American market around 1870. The manufacturing is attributed to The watch bears serial number 11762. The specific auction grading assessment designates the case and movement as 'Good' (grade 3), while the dial is graded as 'Good' (grade 3-01). The watch is described as a hunting-cased, keyless, 18K pink gold pocket watch with the specified complications.
- Movement and Escapement
- The watch is powered by a 20-ligne nickel movement containing 25 jewels. It features a tandem winding system and a double-train arrangement that allows for the independent seconds function. The escapement is a straight-line counterpoised lever type, paired with a cut bimetallic compensation balance and a blued steel Breguet balance-spring. Time regulation is handled via an off-center index regulator which incorporates the Jürgensen micrometer scale. A notable function is the independent seconds and diablotine mechanism, which is designed to lock when the hunting case cover is closed. The movement, along with the dial and case, carries the signatures associated with Jules Jürgensen's production.
Identification
- Serial number
- 11762
- 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: Damage to the Breguet hands noted in the auction description
- Research required: Case back contains an undetailed inscription dated 1905