Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Antique Ruby Diamond Pendant Watch, 1880
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 1880
- Historical period
- Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1900)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- diamond
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3328
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3328)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Antique Ruby Diamond Pendant Watch (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 3328), this is a pocket watch, dated 1880. The Atlas places it in the Industrial Revolution period (1850 – 1900) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: diamond. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop
Step back in time with the exquisite Antique Ruby Diamond Pendant Watch from the 1880s, a true testament to the elegance and craftsmanship of a bygone era. This stunning circular pendant watch is adorned with tear drop-shaped rubies, each encircled by delicate rose-cut diamonds, culminating in a central diamond of approximately 0.10 carat. Marked with “Geneve” and bearing the number 86891, this piece not only tells time but also narrates a rich history through its intricate design and luxurious materials. Measuring one inch in both width and length and weighing 22.8 grammes, this pendant watch is a compact yet opulent accessory. Its excellent condition and timeless beauty make it a must-have for collectors and enthusiasts of antique jewelry. Whether worn as a statement piece or cherished as a historical artifact, this pendant watch is a unique blend of functionality and artistry that transcends time. This is an antique circular pendant watch from the 1880s. It features tear drop-shaped rubies surrounded by rose-cut diamonds, with a centre stone that is a diamond of approximately 0.10 carat. The watch is marked with “Geneve” and has a number of 86891. The dimensions of the watch are one inch in width and length. The total weight of the watch is 22.8 grammes. It is a beautiful piece of jewelry with intricate details and a rich history. Its unique design and stunning gems make it a timeless piece that would make a great addition to any collection. Stone: Ruby,Diamond Stone Cut: Rose Cut Weight: 22.8 g Dimensions: Width: 25.4 mm (1 in) Period: 1880-1889 Date of Manufacture: 1880s Condition: Excellent
Historical context
Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1900)
American interchangeable-parts manufacture; railroad time standards; Swiss and German factory systems.
Machine production with interchangeable parts, pioneered by Waltham (1850s) and adopted by Elgin, Longines, Omega and others, made reliable lever watches widely affordable. Keyless winding became standard, railroad watch standards were introduced (1890s), and Swiss and American industries competed globally.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Precision & Scientific Horology
Atlas type guide
Early spring-driven watches
Portable spring-driven timepieces appeared in southern Germany, France and Italy in the early sixteenth century; Peter Henlein of Nuremberg is traditionally credited, although the historical record is complex. These early watches were worn as pendants or carried, had iron or brass movements with a verge escapement and a foliot or small balance, and used a stackfreed or fusee to equalise spring force. They indicated hours only and were notoriously inaccurate.
From the later sixteenth century watches were made in Blois, Paris, Geneva, London and Augsburg in oval, octagonal, cruciform, skull and other 'form' cases of rock crystal, gilt brass, silver and enamel. They were jewellery and status objects as much as timekeepers.
What to look for
- A single hour hand and often a touch-pin hour ring for feeling the time.
- Stackfreed (a cam and spring) instead of a fusee on German watches.
- Pierced and engraved cocks over the balance, fine gut fusee lines.
- Rock-crystal, enamelled or engraved form cases.
Dating clues
- Drum-shaped German watches: c. 1530–1580.
- Oval and form watches: c. 1580–1650.
- Before c. 1675 there is no balance spring; watches can vary by many minutes a day.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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