Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
C.H. Meylan & Fleischmann 18k Gold Minute Repeater, 1900s
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 1900s
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 2499
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 2499)
- Catalogue title (original)
- C.H. Meylan & Fleischmann 18k Gold Minute Repeater (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 2499), this is a pocket watch, dated 1900s. 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: gold. The record is illustrated with 5 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 C.H. Meylan & Fleischmann 18k Gold Minute Repeater, a remarkable double hunter pocket watch from the early 1900s that epitomizes the pinnacle of Swiss watchmaking craftsmanship. This vintage masterpiece is not only a testament to the enduring elegance of the Romantic period but also a marvel of horological engineering, featuring a minute repeater mechanism and an impressive 35 rubis. Encased in luxurious 18k yellow gold, the watch boasts a dedicated second dial and an inner glass that reveals the intricate movement, which measures 49.5mm in diameter. Weighing a substantial 112.7 grams, this manual wind timepiece offers both aesthetic beauty and functional precision. Whether you are a seasoned collector or an admirer of fine timepieces, the C.H. Meylan & Fleischmann pocket watch is an extraordinary addition that captures the essence of early 20th-century Swiss innovation and style. Seize the opportunity to own this unique and impressive piece, and let it become the crowning jewel of your collection. Introducing a stunning vintage double hunter pocket watch by C.H. Meylan & Fleischmann with incredible features including a minute repeater and 35 rubis. This beautiful timepiece also boasts a dedicated second dial and an 18k yellow gold case with an inner glass for the movement. The movement itself measures 49.5mm in diameter, and the total mass of the watch is a substantial 112.7 grams. This truly is an amazing vintage piece that will make a striking addition to any watch collection. Don’t miss out on the chance to own such a unique and impressive timepiece. Creator: C.H. Meylan Case Material: 18k Gold Weight: 112.7 g Case Shape: Round Movement: Manual Wind Case Dimensions: Diameter: 49.5 mm (1.95 in) Style: Romantic Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: Early 20th Century Date of Manufacture: 1900s 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
Repeating watches
Before electric light, telling the time in the dark was a real problem. Repeating watches strike the time on demand when a slide or push-piece is operated: quarter repeaters sound hours and quarters, minute repeaters hours, quarters and minutes. Edward Barlow and Daniel Quare disputed the invention in London in the 1680s. Early repeaters struck on a bell inside the case; Abraham-Louis Breguet introduced the gong (a coiled steel wire) around 1780, allowing thinner watches.
Repeaters require a separate train with racks, snails and a governor to control the striking speed, and are among the most demanding complications to make and adjust. Swiss makers of the Vallée de Joux specialised in repeating ébauches in the nineteenth century.
What to look for
- A slide on the case band or a push-piece through the pendant.
- Gongs encircling the movement (after c. 1780) or a bell in the case (earlier); pierced case for sound.
- The racks, snails and governor visible under the dial or on the movement.
- Terms such as 'Minutes', 'Quarts' or 'Répétition' on the dial or cuvette.
Dating clues
- Bell-striking quarter repeaters: c. 1690–1800.
- Gong repeaters and dumb repeaters (striking on the case): after c. 1780.
- Minute repeaters became more common after c. 1830 with Vallée de Joux ébauches.
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:Minute repeater
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