Pforzheimer, Dreyfus & Keller Fitch Patent Sterling Silver Pocket Watch Case #6175 with American Watch Co. Movement
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1874
This pocket watch features a sterling silver clamshell case manufactured based on Ezra C. Fitch's design patented on June 9, 1874, and sold by Pforzheimer, Dreyfus & Keller.
Bearing case serial number 6175, the construction encapsulates the center section to produce a single continuous seam along the exterior perimeter when shut. The source reports that the case houses an 18-size Appleton, Tracy & Co. movement produced by the American Watch Company in Waltham, numbered 993144. According to the article, this piece represents the only known surviving sterling silver example of this particular Fitch patented case design.
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 watch
- Case Number
- 6175
- Patent Date
- June 9, 1874
- Case Material
- Sterling Silver
- Movement Grade
- 18-Size Appleton, Tracy & Co.
- Movement Maker
- American Watch Company (Waltham)
- Place recorded
- United States
- Maker / attribution
- Pforzheimer, Dreyfus & Keller
- Case Retailer / Seller
- Pforzheimer, Dreyfus & Keller
Design
- Visible features
- • Side profile view displaying the opened front bezel and opened rear case cover attached by a shared hinge. • Stepped central movement ring and bezel rim revealing a fraction of the dial and hand arbor. • Polished silver pendant neck and bow affixed opposite the hinge mechanism.
- Case Design and Construction
- The object features a clamshell pocket watch case identified under case number 6175, constructed in sterling silver according to the patented design of Ezra C. Fitch. As described in the source report, the structure encapsulates the center section to produce a single continuous seam along the exterior perimeter when closed. In the profile photograph, the case is shown open on a shared hinge mechanism, revealing the front bezel and rear cover swinging away from the central body. Opposite the hinge, a polished silver pendant neck and bow are affixed.
- Retailer Markings and Attribution
- The case bears markings associated with the retailer Pforzheimer, Dreyfus & Keller. These interior stamps include a P, D, and K surrounding an illustrative depiction of a set of scales, along with the text 'Sterling Silver' embossed inside an arched banner. Credit to Fitch is recorded by the stamped patent date 'Patented June 9, 1874'. The source author notes that this specific example represents the only known surviving sterling silver specimen of the PDK 'beveled invisible centre' case.
- Reported Movement and Visual Limitations
- According to the source documentation, the case houses an 18-size Appleton, Tracy & Co. movement numbered 993144, produced by the American Watch Company in Waltham. This caliber configuration mirrors pairings documented in previously recorded 18K gold variants of the patent. Physical inspection is restricted by the single available profile image, which displays only a stepped movement ring, the bezel rim, and a fraction of the dial and hand arbor. Direct verification of the dial face, hand configuration, and internal movement plates cannot be completed from the provided view.
Identification
- Reference
- Patented June 9, 1874
- Serial number
- 6175
- 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: The dial surface, hands, and inner movement plate are not fully visible in the profile photograph.
- Research required: Movement serial number and inner markings are reported by the source and confirmed in accompanying text, not visible in this angle.