Victor Kullberg One Minute Tourbillon Chronometer with Earnshaw Spring Detent Escapement
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1890
Maker / issuer
Victor KullbergThis 18k yellow gold open-face pocket watch by Victor Kullberg measures 56mm in diameter and is described by the cataloguer as a one-minute tourbillon chronometer with an Earnshaw spring detent escapement.
Source literature cited by Phillips records that Kullberg made only three tourbillon pocket chronometers, of which this example is the sole piece with a detent escapement. The white dial displays Roman numerals, blued steel hands, an up-and-down power reserve indicator below 12 o'clock, and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock. The case bears the maker's mark FT for Fred Thoms with an 1898 hallmark. Firm workbooks state work began in November 1897, and the watch was shown at the 1900 Paris Exhibition before acquisition by Elliot C.
Lee in 1913.
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
- Tourbillon & karrusel watch
- Diameter
- 56mm diameter
- Escapement
- Earnshaw Spring Detent Escapement
- Case Material
- 18k yellow gold
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Case Maker Mark
- FT for Fred Thoms and year letter 1898
- Movement Number
- 6583
- Maker / attribution
- Victor Kullberg
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial with black Roman numerals and an outer railway minute track. • Maker signature 'VICTOR KULLBERG LONDON 6583' below 12 o'clock. • Up/Down power reserve indication sector situated below the signature. • Subsidiary seconds dial with blued steel hand at 6 o'clock. • Blued steel spade hands for hours and minutes. • Polished 18k yellow gold open-face case with a fluted crown and rounded bow at 12 o'clock.
- Dial and Case Construction
- The watch is encased in an 18k yellow gold open-face case measuring 56mm in diameter, with visual inspection showing a fluted winding crown and rounded bow at 12 o'clock. The cataloguer notes that the case bears the maker's mark 'FT' for Fred Thoms alongside a year letter for 1898. The white enamel dial displays black Roman numerals, an outer railway minute track, and blued steel spade hands. Directly below the signature 'VICTOR KULLBERG LONDON 6583' under 12 o'clock is an Up/Down power reserve indication sector, complemented by a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock.
- Documentary Record and Provenance
- Although the auction metadata lists a date of 'Circa 1890', original firm workbooks preserved at the Guildhall Library record that work on this watch began on 10 November 1897, several years after Victor Kullberg's death in 1890. A subsequent workbook entry notes that the dial was ordered from Mr Wills on 19 February 1899 at a cost of £8. The watch was exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. Having remained unsold without an initial commission, it was purchased on 21 August 1913 by American collector Elliot Cabot Lee.
- Movement Specifications and Reported Architecture
- Movement number 6583 is catalogued as a manual-wind one-minute tourbillon chronometer featuring an Earnshaw spring detent escapement. Both the dial and the movement are stated to be signed by Victor Kullberg. According to citations of 'Das Tourbillon' in the auction text, Kullberg produced only three pocket tourbillon chronometers in total, with movement number 6583 documented as the sole example to incorporate a detent escapement.
Identification
- Serial number
- 6583
- 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 internal tourbillon cage and Earnshaw spring detent escapement are not visible from the dial-side photograph.
- Research required: The source listing states 'Circa 1890' in the heading fields, but firm workbooks record commencement on 10 November 1897 and case hallmarks date to 1898.