Silver Chinese Market Duplex pocket watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1850
This antique pocket watch is reported by the seller as a Swiss-made timepiece manufactured around 1850 for the Chinese market. It features a gilt bridge movement equipped with a crab tooth duplex escapement, a freestanding mainspring barrel, and a bevelled gilt balance wheel.
The movement bridges and plate display carved and polished foliate scrollwork over a brushed gilt ground, complemented by blued screws and jewel settings. It is housed in an unhallmarked silver case measuring 47 mm in diameter by 17 mm in depth, characterized by coin-edged sides, a hinged cuvette inscribed 'Duplex', and key winding and setting.
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
- Dimensions
- 47 mm wide by 17 mm deep
- Escapement
- Crab tooth duplex escapement
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Movement Features
- Freestanding mainspring barrel and bevelled gilt balance wheel
- Origin and Market
- Swiss, made for Chinese market
- Winding Mechanism
- Key wound and key set
- Inner Cover Marking
- Signed 'Duplex'
Design
- Visible features
- • Carved and engraved foliate scrollwork across the gilt bridges and bottom plate • Heat-blued movement screws alongside jeweled settings • Balance cock fitted with an index regulator and polished steel pointer • Freestanding barrel bridge with an open winding square • Coin-edged rim on the silver case with attached pendant and bow
- Movement Architecture and Finishing
- In the available movement view, the mechanism is arranged as a gilt bridge caliber displaying carved and engraved foliate scrollwork across the bridges and bottom plate over a brushed gilt ground. Heat-blued movement screws and jeweled pivot settings are visible, and the balance cock is fitted with an index regulator and polished steel pointer governing a gilt balance wheel. According to the seller's description, the movement features a crab tooth duplex escapement, a bevelled gilt balance wheel, and a freestanding mainspring barrel. Visible beneath the barrel bridge is the squared winding arbor used for key winding.
- Case Construction and Exterior Elements
- The movement is fitted into a silver case measuring 47 mm in width by 17 mm in depth, characterized by coin-edged sides, an attached pendant, and a bow. The seller notes that the housing includes a hinged back, a hinged bezel, and a domed mineral glass crystal. The interior contains a hinged inner cuvette signed 'Duplex'. The exterior case back is reported by the seller to be decorated with an engraved church and lakeside scene, though this exterior decoration is not depicted in the provided movement image.
- Reported Dial Configuration and Seller Attributions
- The dial is described in the listing as white enamel fitted with a pair of gilt filigree hands and a blued steel center seconds hand, with the seller noting four faint hairlines in the center. Operation is via key winding and key setting, accompanied by a key. Attribution to Swiss origin around 1850 for the Chinese market is reported by the seller. The seller also notes that the silver case lacks hallmarks, and the source description mentions no maker signatures or serial numbers.
Identification
- Reference
- 4.107 (AB-65002)
- 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 white enamel dial, hands, and the reported lakeside case back scene are not visible in this movement view
- Research required: The case lacks assay hallmarks; silver metal content and Swiss provenance rely on the dealer's description