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Gold Full Hunter, c. 1900 — view 1 of 4
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Pocket Watches · Pocket watch

Gold Full Hunter, c. 1900

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Unrecorded in source
Date
c. 1900
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Pocket watch
Materials / technique
gold
Stock no.
Product 6342
Credit line
Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 6342)
Catalogue title (original)
Gold Full Hunter (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 6342), this is a pocket watch, dated c. 1900. 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 4 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 “Gold Full Hunter – Circa 1900” watch is a captivating embodiment of late 19th-century Swiss craftsmanship, offering a glimpse into a bygone era of horological excellence. Encased in a distinctive full hunter case crafted from gold, this timepiece harmoniously combines elegance with functionality. At its heart lies a keyless gilt bar movement with a going barrel, showcasing meticulous engineering and precision. The watch’s plain cock, polished steel regulator, compensation balance, and blue steel overcoil hairspring reflect the intricate artistry and technical prowess of the era. A club foot lever escapement further enhances its mechanical sophistication. The white enamel dial, adorned with subsidiary seconds, Arabic numerals, and decorative pierced gilt hands, exudes timeless charm and readability. Housed in a plain 14-carat full hunter case, the watch’s middle section boasts a unique faceted design, while a gilt metal cuvette offers additional protection, underscoring the thoughtful attention to detail. This anonymous Swiss creation, dating back to circa 1900, measures 51 mm in diameter and remains in good condition, making it a remarkable collector’s piece that celebrates the enduring legacy of Swiss watchmaking. This is a late 19th Century Swiss lever watch housed in a unique full hunter case made of gold. The watch features a keyless gilt bar movement with a going barrel. Its plain cock has a polished steel regulator, and it has a compensation balance with a blue steel overcoil hairspring. The watch also has a club foot lever escapement. The white enamel dial includes subsidiary seconds, Arabic numerals, and decorative pierced gilt hands. The watch is housed in a plain 14 carat full hunter case, with the middle of the case constructed in a faceted style. Additionally, the case features a gilt metal cuvette for added protection. Anonymous Swiss Date of Manufacture: Circa 1900 Diameter : 51 mm 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

Hunter, half-hunter and open-face watches

In the nineteenth century the pocket watch case settled into a few standard forms. The hunter (French savonnette) has a hinged front lid protecting the crystal — reputedly for riders who could not risk broken glass — and is opened by pressing the crown or a push-piece. The half-hunter has a small window in the lid so the hands can be read when closed. The open-face (lépine) watch has no front cover, with the crown at 12; hunters normally carry the crown at 3.

Case types also changed with winding: key-wound watches gave way to keyless (stem-wound) mechanisms after Adrien Philippe's and others' designs of the 1840s, with pendant setting or lever setting.

What to look for

  • Crown position relative to the seconds dial: at 3 for hunters, at 12 for open-face watches.
  • Spring-loaded front cover with a push-piece in the pendant.
  • Half-hunter chapter ring enamelled on the lid.
  • Key holes in the inner dome (cuvette) versus keyless winding.

Dating clues

  • Keyless winding spread after c. 1850 and became standard by c. 1890.
  • English hallmarks inside gold and silver cases give the year of assay.

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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