Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Bonnet 18kt. Solid Gold Pocket Watch with Engine Turned Dial, 1850
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 1850
- Historical period
- Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1900)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3834
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3834)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Bonnet 18kt. Solid Gold Pocket Watch with Engine Turned Dial (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 3834), this is a pocket watch, dated 1850. The Atlas places it in the Industrial Revolution period (1850 – 1900) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. 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
The Bonnet 18kt. Solid Gold Pocket Watch with Engine Turned Dial, crafted in 1850, is a masterpiece of Swiss watchmaking that embodies the elegance and precision of the Breguet Style. This exquisite timepiece features iconic design elements such as the classic Breguet Bridge Work and a Cylindrical Escapement, showcasing the meticulous engineering that Breguet is renowned for. The hand engine turned dial, adorned with blued steel hands, exudes refined sophistication, making it a striking example of historic watch craftsmanship. Running on a key winding 8 jewel movement and accompanied by a key, this 39mm diameter open-faced pocket watch is encased in lustrous 18Kt. yellow gold, blending timeless functionality with the allure of fine jewelry. Its excellent condition further enhances its value, making it a prized possession for collectors and connoisseurs alike. Originating from Switzerland and dating back to the mid-1800s, this Bonnet creation is not just a timepiece but a significant artifact from a bygone era. This exquisite Swiss watch, crafted in the mid 1800s in the Breguet Style, features some of the most iconic design elements of Breguet watchmaking. The movement is constructed with classic Breguet Bridge Work and a Cylindrical Escapement, both of which are hallmarks of Breguet’s precise engineering. The elegant Breguet Style hand engine turned dial and blued steel hands are the epitome of refined style. This historic watch runs on a key winding 8 jewel movement and comes equipped with a key. Measuring 39mm in diameter, this stunning open faced pocket watch is crafted in lustrous 18Kt. yellow gold, making it not only a timeless timepiece, but also a valuable piece of jewelry. Creator: Bonnet Case Shape: Round Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: 1850-1859 Date of Manufacture: 1850 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
Pocket watches
The pocket watch was the dominant personal timekeeper from the late seventeenth century until the First World War. Its development tracks the history of the escapement: verge watches with fusees until the late eighteenth century; Thomas Mudge's lever escapement (c. 1755) and the cylinder escapement popularised by George Graham and later by Swiss makers; and the Swiss and English lever watches of the nineteenth century. Lépine's bar-bridge calibre and keyless winding made watches thinner and easier to use.
Industrialisation transformed the trade: American factories such as Waltham (from 1850) and Elgin produced interchangeable parts by machine, and Swiss makers responded with their own mechanisation after the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. By 1900 a reliable watch was affordable to millions; the finest makers continued to produce complications and precision watches.
What to look for
- The escapement: verge (crown wheel), cylinder, duplex, English or Swiss lever.
- Key winding (a square arbor in dial or back) or keyless crown winding.
- Signatures and serial numbers on the movement, dial and inside case back.
- Hallmarks, case maker's marks and gold or silver standards stamped in the case.
- Dial material: enamel, silver, gold, later printed metal.
Dating clues
- Verge watches dominate before c. 1800; cylinder watches c. 1770–1900; lever watches after c. 1820.
- Keyless winding: increasingly common after c. 1860.
- Manufacturer serial number lists exist for Waltham, Elgin, Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe and others.
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.
Read next:Verge escapementDetached lever escapementFuseeIdentification Centre
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