
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Remontoir Cylindre 10 Rubis Woman”s Swiss 14 Carat Gold Diamonds – around 1900
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 20th century
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold, diamond
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3970
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3970)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Remontoir Cylindre 10 Rubis Woman”s Swiss 14 Carat Gold Diamonds – around 1900 (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 3970), this is a pocket watch, made in Switzerland, 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: gold, 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 back in time with the exquisite Remontoir Cylindre 10 Rubis Woman’s Swiss Pocket Watch, a true testament to the elegance and craftsmanship of the early 1900s. This stunning timepiece is masterfully crafted from 14-carat slight red gold, embodying a unique design that features three delicate lids, each fashioned from the same luxurious gold. The clockface covering lid is a dazzling spectacle, adorned with eight meticulously placed diamonds totaling 0.40 carats, which catch the light with every movement. The watch’s enamel clockface is elegantly marked with Roman numerals, offering a classic and timeless appeal. As a REMONTOIR type pocket watch, it boasts a winding crown made possible by Adrien Philippe’s revolutionary keyless winding mechanism, a groundbreaking innovation from 1842 that transformed the landscape of pocket watches. This particular model, numbered 353847, was crafted in the heart of Geneva, Switzerland, around the turn of the 20th century and bears an Austrian Import Hallmark, a testament to its journey across borders. With a diameter of 2.8 cm and weighing a mere 16 grams, this Art Nouveau style watch is in excellent condition, with its mechanism in perfect working order, making it not only a functional timepiece but also a remarkable addition to any discerning collector’s ensemble. This is a beautiful pocket watch for women, crafted with 14 ct slight red gold and 10 rubis. It features a unique design with three lids, all of which are made of 14 ct gold. The clockface covering lid is adorned with eight diamonds totaling 0.40 ct. The enamel clockface of the watch has Roman numerals. The watch is of the REMONTOIR type, which means it has a winding crown and was made possible by the keyless winding mechanism developed by Adrien Philippe in Geneva in 1842. By eliminating the need to open the clock’s case for winding, Philippe’s innovation paved the way for modern pocket watches. He was awarded a gold medal during the Paris World Exhibition of 1844 in recognition of his groundbreaking work. This particular REMONTOIR CYLINDRE 10 RUBIS pocket watch is numbered 353847 and was made in Geneva, Switzerland, around 1900. It bears an Austrian Import Hallmark, indicating it was imported to Austria at one point. Measuring 2.8 cm in diameter and weighing 16.0 grams, this pocket watch is in excellent condition. Its mechanism is in working order, and it would make an outstanding addition to any collection. Creator: Manufactory situated in Geneva / Switzerland Case Material: Gold,14k Gold Stone: Diamond Stone Cut: Old European Cut Weight: 16 g Case Dimensions: Diameter: 28 mm (1.11 in) Style: Art Nouveau Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: 1900-1909 Date of Manufacture: around 1900 Condition: Excellent
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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