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Gold Full Hunter Pocket Watch, c. 1900 — view 1 of 5
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Pocket Watches · Pocket watch

Gold Full Hunter Pocket Watch, 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 6335
Credit line
Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 6335)
Catalogue title (original)
Gold Full Hunter 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 6335), 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 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 Gold Full Hunter Pocket Watch, a remarkable piece that epitomizes the elegance and craftsmanship of the late 19th century. This Swiss lever watch, dating back to circa 1900, is a testament to the meticulous artistry and precision engineering of its era. Encased in a luxurious 14-carat gold full hunter case, the watch exudes an aura of timeless sophistication. Its keyless gilt bar movement, featuring a going barrel, ensures seamless timekeeping, while the polished steel micrometer regulator and compensation balance with a blue steel overcoil hairspring highlight the intricate mechanics within. The club foot lever escapement, adorned with screwed-in jewelling, further underscores the watch’s superior craftsmanship. The enamel dial, elegantly signed, showcases Arabic numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial, with gilt hands that add a touch of refined elegance. The gold cuvette, engraved with details of the movement and bearing the maker’s mark “Recte,” completes this masterpiece, offering a glimpse into the rich heritage and enduring legacy of Swiss watchmaking. With a diameter of 54 mm, this pocket watch not only serves as a functional timepiece but also as a cherished artifact, capturing the essence of a bygone era in its good condition, ready to be admired and treasured by connoisseurs and collectors alike. This is a beautiful Swiss lever watch from the late 19th Century. It features a keyless gilt bar movement with a going barrel. The watch has a plain cock with a polished steel micrometer regulator, as well as a compensation balance with a blue steel overcoil hairspring. The club foot lever escapement is complemented by screwed in jewelling. The enamel dial is signed and features Arabic numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial. The gilt hands add a touch of elegance to the overall design. The watch is housed in a plain 14 carat full hunter case with a gold cuvette that is engraved with details of the movement. The watch also bears the maker’s mark “Recte.” Signed Recte Date of Manufacture: Circa 1900 Diameter: 54 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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