Miniature gold and enamel open-face pocket watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
mid-nineteenth century
This miniature open-face pocket watch dates to the mid-nineteenth century and is attributed to Swiss manufacture by Ruegger à Genève. The watch is encased in gold, featuring a case band with engine-turned decoration.
The case back is finished with champlevé enamel, depicting a Japanese scene featuring a pagoda in black enamel, surrounded by multicolored decorative cartouches set against an engine-turned ground. It is powered by a gilt Lepine calibre movement with a key-wind mechanism, featuring a suspended going barrel, cylinder escapement with a polished steel cylinder, and a three-arm gold balance with a blued steel hairspring.
The white enamel dial displays Roman numerals and gold hands. The watch includes an accompanying gold male winding key. The gold cuvette is engraved with the maker's signature and the serial number 6388.
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
- Date
- mid-nineteenth century
- Dial
- white enamel
- Type
- Open-face pocket watch
- Maker
- Ruegger à Genève
- Escapement
- cylinder escapement
- Case material
- gold
- Movement type
- Lepine calibre
- Serial number
- 6388
- Accompaniments
- gold male key
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Maker / attribution
- Ruegger à Genève
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch is an open-face miniature piece housed in a gold case featuring engine-turned decoration on the middle band. The back of the case is decorated using champlevé enamel techniques, centered on a black enamel image of a Japanese landscape including a pagoda. The central scene is framed by various multicolored translucent enamel decorative cartouches set against an engine-turned background. The white enamel dial features Roman numeral hour markers and gold hands. Surface analysis of the dial indicates the presence of cracks and scratches, which the source attributes to the passage of time. A gold cuvette protects the movement and serves as a surface for the maker's signature and serial number.
- Visible features
- • Case back features Champlevé enamel work with a Japanese pagoda motif • White enamel dial shows visible cracks and scratches • Movement is a key-wind Lepine calibre with gilt finish • Gold cuvette engraved with maker name and serial number
- Movement and Mechanism
- The movement is a gilt Lepine calibre designed for key-winding. The power transmission system incorporates a suspended going barrel. The timekeeping regulation is managed by a cylinder escapement, comprising a polished steel cylinder and steel escape wheel. Further technical components include a three-armed gold balance wheel paired with a blued steel hairspring. The balance cock is of simple construction, fitted with a polished steel regulator for adjustment. The internal gold cuvette features an aperture specifically designed to accommodate the gold male winding key, though the surface shows light scratches from historical use.
- Signatures and Markings
- The watch is identified by the signature "RUEGGER À GENÈVE," which is engraved directly onto the gold cuvette. This engraving is accompanied by the serial number 6388. The physical condition of the watch in relation to these markings suggests frequent use, particularly regarding the cuvette's surface, which exhibits light abrasion.
Identification
- Serial number
- 6388
- 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: Structural integrity of the enamel work is unverified
- Research required: Functional performance of the cylinder escapement is unverified