
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
British Swan Platinum Diamond Enamel Pocket Watch
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 20th century
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- England
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- enamel, diamond
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 2279
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 2279)
- Catalogue title (original)
- British Swan Platinum Diamond Enamel Pocket 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 2279), this is a pocket watch, made in England, dated 20th century. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: enamel, 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 into the elegance of the early 20th century with the British Swan Platinum Diamond Enamel Pocket Watch, a stunning Art Deco-style timepiece crafted by the renowned British Swan Watch Co. This exquisite pocket watch, made from luxurious platinum and adorned with a dazzling array of 67 round-cut diamonds totaling 1.10 carats, showcases a sleek white enamel dial with striking black Arabic numerals. Its platinum case, marked with the hallmark and numbered 43577, reflects the meticulous craftsmanship synonymous with the era. Inside, the watch bears the Swan Watch Co mark and the inscription “Seventeen 17 Jewels, Unadjusted,” indicating its high-quality manual wind movement. The diamond-encrusted loop adds an extra touch of opulence to this already magnificent piece. Measuring approximately 1 5/8 inches in diameter and weighing 43 grams, this pocket watch is a testament to the timeless beauty and precision of British watchmaking. Though it shows signs of wear and age, it remains in good antique condition, making it a prized addition for collectors of English pocket watches and jewelry accessories from the 20th century. This is an Art Deco-style pocket watch made by the British Swan Watch Co, crafted from platinum and encrusted with diamonds. The sleek white enamel dial is adorned with black Arabic numerals, and the case boasts an impressive 1.10 carats of round-cut diamonds, totaling 67 stones. The backside is marked with a platinum hallmark and numbered with 43577. Inside, the pocket watch is marked with the Swan Watch Co mark and the engraved phrase “Seventeen 17 Jewels, Unadjusted.” The loop on the watch is also encrusted with diamonds. The pocket watch is in good antique condition, though it remains untested. Signs of wear and age are visible upon close inspection. The pocket watch measures approximately 1 5/8 inches in diameter. This is an excellent piece for collectors of English British pocket watches and jewelry accessories. Case Material: Platinum,Enamel Stone: Diamond Stone Cut: Round Cut Weight: 43 g Case Shape: Round Movement: Manual Wind Case Dimensions: Height: 41.28 mm (1.625 in)Width: 41.28 mm (1.625 in)Diameter: 41.28 mm (1.625 in) Style: Art Deco Place of Origin: Europe Period: 20th Century Date of Manufacture: 20th Century Condition: Good
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The pocket watch reached technical maturity and then began to give way to the wristwatch after the First World War. Complicated watches for collectors such as Henry Graves Jr. and James Ward Packard, railroad watches, and slim Art Deco dress watches are characteristic.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
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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