Swiss Lady's Pendant Watch with Filigree Brooch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1910
This Swiss-made lady's pendant watch, originating circa 1910, is presented as a silver-gilt and enamel keyless-wind timepiece. It is suspended from a gilt filigree brooch.
The watch case is a three-body 'bassine' type. The bezel features red translucent guilloché enamel. The case back displays a painted scene of a young woman seated within a landscape, framed by a silver paillon rococo border and an outer red guilloché enamel border. The dial is constructed of white enamel with painted Breguet numerals and outer minute divisions, complemented by gilt Louis-style hands. The internal mechanism is a 10 ½ ligne rhodium-plated movement, which incorporates a cylinder escapement, a three-arm balance, a blued steel flat balance spring, and an index regulator.
The movement is signed. The total diameter of the watch is 29 mm.
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
- Dial
- White enamel with Breguet numerals
- Type
- Enamel, form & pendant watch
- Origin
- Switzerland
- Diameter
- 29 mm
- Case type
- Three-body bassine
- Condition
- Grade A, good
- Decoration
- Red translucent guilloché enamel and silver paillon
- Movement size
- 10 ½ lignes
- Movement type
- Cylinder escapement
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
Design
- Case and Dial
- The watch features a three-body 'bassine' case design constructed from silver-gilt. The exterior is heavily decorated with red translucent guilloché enamel, which appears on the bezel and as a decorative border on the case back. The center of the case back displays a miniature painting depicting a young lady seated in a landscape, surrounded by a silver paillon rococo border. The dial is finished in white enamel, featuring painted Breguet numerals and outer minute divisions. Time is displayed via a set of gilt Louis-style hands, which maintain the decorative character of the pendant. The watch is attached to a gilt filigree brooch, allowing it to be worn as a pendant.
- Visible features
- • Red translucent guilloché enamel on the bezel and case back border • Painted landscape scene with a seated lady on the case back • Intricate gilt filigree bow-shaped brooch attachment • Gilt Louis-style hands
- Condition and Grading
- The auction description provides a grading system for the object, assessing the case, dial, and movement. The overall grade for the item is 'A', categorized as 'Good'. Specifically, the case and dial are rated as 'Good', and the movement is rated as '3 Good' under the established grading system. The documentation specifies that the hands are original. No major losses or structural defects are mentioned in the text, although the recommendation for an overhaul indicates that the mechanical performance should be assessed by the owner.
- Movement and Escapement
- The internal movement is a 10 ½ ligne caliber, rhodium-plated for finish and durability. It utilizes a cylinder escapement, a common arrangement for smaller pendant watches of this era. Regulation is managed via an index regulator, and the oscillating system consists of a three-arm balance paired with a blued steel flat balance spring. The movement is signed, though no specific maker is attributed within the documentation.
Identification
- 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 movement is signed but the specific maker is not identified in the provided text
- Research required: The description notes an overhaul is recommended, which may impact mechanical reliability