
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Cut Steel Chatelaine and Accessories, 1760
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 1760
- Historical period
- Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- steel
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 1567
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 1567)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Cut Steel Chatelaine and Accessories (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 1567), this is a pocket watch, dated 1760. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: steel. The record is illustrated with 1 photograph.
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 mid-18th century with this exquisite cut steel chatelaine and its remarkable accessories, dating back to around 1760. This stunning piece showcases an oval enamel portrait set within an openwork steel buckle, adorned with meticulously faceted cut steel pins. The buckle supports six cut steel chains, with the central two designed specifically for a watch, while the remaining chains are intended for various accessories. Among the attached accessories are a gilt filigree owl, a stone-set gilt seal inscribed with the name “Mary,” and a uniquely crafted pen knife resembling an underpainted horn-covered shoe. The chatelaine also features sprung cut steel latches with threaded locking collars, although one latch is unfortunately damaged. Measuring 40 x 126 mm, this magnificent artifact is a testament to the superior craftsmanship of its time and would be a prized addition to any antique jewelry collection. This is a stunning mid-18th century cut steel chatelaine, featuring an oval enamel portrait. The openwork steel buckle is adorned with faceted cut steel pins and supports six cut steel chains. The centre two chains are intended for the watch, while the others are for accessories. The chatelaine comes with three attached accessories: a gilt filigree owl, a stone-set gilt seal inscribed with the name “Mary,” and a unique pen knife that takes the shape of an underpainted horn-covered shoe. The chatelaine also features sprung cut steel latches with threaded locking collars, though one is unfortunately damaged. This magnificent piece dates back to around 1760 and measures 40 x 126 mm. It is a true testament to the craftsmanship of the mid-18th century and would make an excellent addition to any collection of antique jewelry. Circa 1760 Dimensions 40 x 126 mm
Historical context
Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
Harrison solves longitude; Mudge invents the lever; Breguet's Paris workshop defines the modern watch.
From 1750 to 1850 the watch became a precision instrument. Mudge's lever escapement, the cylinder escapement, Lépine's thin bar calibre, Breguet's innovations (overcoil, tourbillon, perpétuelle) and the pocket chronometer of Arnold and Earnshaw all date from this period, while verge watches remained common in cheaper production.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Early Modern 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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