Solid silver pocket watch with hunting scene decoration
ProbableCredible evidence exists but classification is not fully established.
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1890–1900
This antique pocket watch is dated by the seller to circa 1890–1900 and is housed in a 0.900 solid silver case marked with case number 1888. The white enamel dial features black Roman numerals for the hours, outer Arabic numerals along a railway minute track, decorative Louis XV-style hands, and a subsidiary seconds subdial at 6 o'clock.
The source reports that the case back is chiseled and guilloché-decorated with a hare-hunting scene, and the movement features 17 jewels, a straight-line anchor escapement, and a Breguet balance spring.
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
- Diameter
- 5.3 cm
- Case number
- 1888
- Jewel count
- 17 jewels
- Gross weight
- 114 gr
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Silver fineness
- 0.900
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial with Roman numeral hour indices and Arabic five-minute outer track markings • Gilded openwork Louis XV-style hands with inset rhinestones • Fluted copper-plated winding crown positioned beneath a silver bow pendant • Small seconds subsidiary dial at 6 o'clock with a blued steel hand
- Dial and External Features
- The pocket watch displays a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals marking the hours, surrounded by a black-painted railway-style minute track with Arabic numerals for the five-minute increments. The time is indicated by gilded openwork hands in a Louis XV style, reported by the source to be set with rose-cut Rhine stones. At the 6 o'clock position, a subsidiary dial with Arabic numerals and a blued steel hand indicates the running seconds. The dial is fitted beneath slightly domed and beveled mineral glass. External components noted in the listing include solid silver lugs, an open bow pendant, and a notched winding crown made of copper-plated metal. According to the seller, winding occurs via the pendant, while time setting is operated by pressing a small push button located next to the pendant and turning the mechanism clockwise.
- Case Construction and Inscriptions
- The case and dust cover are stamped with a rectangular Swiss fineness mark indicating 0.900 silver purity (expressed as 900/1000). Both the inner dust cover and the case back are engraved in intaglio with the number 1888. The name 'J. Geiger', identified by the seller as the watch's owner, is also engraved in intaglio on the case back. The case back is described in the source as chiseled and guilloché-decorated with a hare-hunting scene featuring two hunters under a tree—one kneeling behind a wooden fence and vegetation firing at a chased hare, while the other holds a hunting trumpet with his rifle resting on the ground. A smooth solid silver dust cover bezel fitted with mineral glass protects the internal movement.
- Reported Movement and Technical Details
- The movement is not visible in the provided primary image. The source listing documents a polished steel, guilloché-finished movement with 17 jewels, a straight-line anchor escapement, a compensated balance wheel, a Breguet balance spring, visible escape wheels, and an advance/retard regulation lever located above the balance wheel. Technical descriptions are also reported as engraved on the chiseled and guilloché dust cover, listing a straight-line anchor, 17 jewels, a visible Breguet spiral, and a white balance wheel with four balance cock settings. A specific movement manufacturer is not recorded in the source, and the dating to the late 19th century (circa 1890–1900) reflects the dealer's catalog classification.
Identification
- Reference
- 1802386
- Serial number
- 1888
- 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 hunting scene engraving on the case back described by the seller is not visible in the provided front view
- Research required: Movement details are obscured beneath the dial and internal dust cover in the primary image
- Research required: Maker is unspecified; the source notes the engraved owner name 'J. Geiger' on the case