Swiss Gold and Enamel Hunting Cased Quarter Repeating Pocket Watch with Portrait of Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1895
This Swiss-attributed gold pocket watch, dating to circa 1895, features a hunting case decorated with an enamel portrait of Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar. The keyless quarter repeating movement is unsigned, with inscriptions recording a straight-line lever escapement with chatons, a Breguet balance spring, 32 jewels, and 14-karat gold composition.
The outer gold border framing the enamel plaque is chased with repeated foliate decoration.
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
- Repeating watch
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Case decoration
- Enamel portrait of Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar
- Movement engraving
- Repetition a Quarts, Ancre Ligne Droite Chaton, Spiral Breguet, 32 Rubis, 14K
- Attributed origin and date
- Switzerland, circa 1895
Design
- Visible features
- • Circular enamel portrait miniature depicting Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar in military uniform with epaulettes, frogging, a sash, and a plumed black cap. • Repetitive chased foliate motifs decorate the gold rim encircling the portrait. • Fluted dark winding crown set inside a smooth gold suspension bow at the top.
- External Description
- The timepiece is a gold hunting-cased, keyless, quarter-repeating pocket watch. The cover features an enamel portrait miniature of Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar. The outer gold border surrounding the enamel portrait is chased with repetitive foliate motifs. A fluted dark winding crown is situated within a smooth gold suspension bow at the top.
- Movement and Markings
- The movement is reported as unsigned. Engravings on the movement include the text 'no. 217698 - Repetition a Quarts, Ancre Ligne Droite Chaton, Spiral Breguet, 32 Rubis, 14K - 217693'. The inscriptions indicate a 14-karat gold composition, 32 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement with chatons, and a Breguet balance spring. The source records two distinct numbers: 217698 and 217693.
- Condition and Observations
- The watch is noted as non-functional, with a jammed, broken mechanism that does not wind or repeat. It is missing the glass to the interior. The enamel portrait shows evidence of restoration, specifically re-varnishing, particularly on the jacket of the depicted figure. The dial and cuvette interior are not visible in the provided photographic source.
Identification
- Serial number
- 217698
- 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, cuvette interior, and movement are not shown in the provided photograph.
- Research required: The source notes discrepancies in the engraved numbers ('no. 217698' versus '217693').
- Research required: Source notes the watch is unsigned, missing its interior glass, with broken mechanism not winding or repeating, and restoration with re-varnishing to the enamel.