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Rose Gold Enamelled Pivoted Detente Pocket Watch, 1880 — view 1 of 6
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Pocket Watches · Pocket watch

Rose Gold Enamelled Pivoted Detente Pocket Watch, 1880

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Unrecorded in source
Date
1880
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Pocket watch
Materials / technique
gold, enamel
Stock no.
Product 1911
Credit line
Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 1911)
Catalogue title (original)
Rose Gold Enamelled Pivoted Detente 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 1911), this is a pocket watch, dated 1880. The Atlas places it in the Industrial Revolution period (1850 – 1900) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold, enamel. 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

The Rose Gold Enamelled Pivoted Detente Pocket Watch from 1880 is a remarkable blend of historical significance and exquisite craftsmanship, making it a coveted piece for both horology enthusiasts and history aficionados. Crafted from 18ct rose gold, this pocket watch features a stunning blue enamel Roman numeral front and a back adorned with the Coat of Arms of General Friedrich Wilhem von Steuben, a key figure in the American War of Independence. The dial is a masterpiece in itself, painted in crisp white enamel with elegant Roman numerals, an outer minute track, and a subdial for seconds at the six o’clock position, all accentuated by original gold spade hands and a blued steel seconds hand. The heart of this timepiece is its nickel-finished, highly-jeweled movement, equipped with a keyless pivoted detente chronometer escapement, Breguet overcoil hairspring, and fast-slow regulation, ensuring both accuracy and reliability. The inner case, engraved with “Chronometre a l’ Esperance, 33 Bould st Martin Paris,” and marked as 18kt gold, further attests to its authenticity and premium quality. With a diameter of 55 mm and in excellent condition, this late 19th-century pocket watch is not just a timekeeping device but a piece of history, accompanied by an extract from the Royal College of Arms, making it an exceptional addition to any collection. This pocket watch is a rare and historic piece, crafted in approximately 1880. The case is made of 18ct rose gold and features blue enamel Roman numerals on the front. The back of the case is adorned with the Coat of Arms of General Friedrich Wilhem von Steuben, who fought alongside General George Washington in the American War of Independence. This makes the watch a significant piece of history, and an extract from the Royal College of Arms is available to accompany the timepiece. The dial is painted in crisp white enamel with elegant Roman numerals and an outer minute track with Arabic numerals every five minutes. There is also a subdial for seconds at the six o’clock position. The original spade hands are in gold with a blued steel seconds hand, giving a sophisticated finish to the piece. The movement is a nickel-finished, highly-jeweled piece with a keyless pivoted detente chronometer escapement. The Breguet overcoil hairspring and fast-slow regulation make for an accurate and reliable timepiece. The inner case is engraved “Chronometre a l’ Esperance, 33 Bould st Martin Paris,” and all cases are numbered and marked as 18kt gold. This pocket watch is a unique and beautiful piece of history, with exceptional craftsman that will appeal to collectors of fine watches and history lovers alike. Case Material: Rose Gold,Enamel Case Shape: Round Case Dimensions: Diameter: 55 mm (2.17 in) Period: Late 19th Century Date of Manufacture: 1880 Condition: Excellent

Historical context

Industrial Revolution (1850 – 1900)

American interchangeable-parts manufacture; railroad time standards; Swiss and German factory systems.

Machine production with interchangeable parts, pioneered by Waltham (1850s) and adopted by Elgin, Longines, Omega and others, made reliable lever watches widely affordable. Keyless winding became standard, railroad watch standards were introduced (1890s), and Swiss and American industries competed globally.

Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Precision & Scientific Horology

Atlas type guide

Pocket chronometers and precision watches

A pocket chronometer is a watch built to observatory standards, traditionally with a detent escapement like a marine chronometer. English makers such as John Arnold and Thomas Earnshaw made the first pocket chronometers in the 1780s. In the nineteenth century the term increasingly referred to any watch that had passed official rating trials at observatories in Kew, Neuchâtel, Geneva or Besançon, and the Swiss lever chronometer became dominant.

Tourbillon and karrusel watches belong to the same world of precision. Breguet patented the tourbillon in 1801 to average out positional errors; Bahne Bonniksen's karrusel (1892) was a cheaper English alternative. Rating certificates (bulletins de marche) that accompany such watches are historical documents in their own right.

What to look for

  • Detent escapement (no pallets; a fine spring detent locks the escape wheel).
  • Observatory certificates, competition results or 'Chronometer' marking on the dial.
  • Tourbillon carriage visible through an aperture or on the movement.
  • Fine finishing: jewelled holes in gold chatons, diamond endstones.

Dating clues

  • English pocket chronometers: c. 1780–1900.
  • Observatory trials at Neuchâtel from 1866, Geneva from 1873, Kew from 1884.
  • Karrusels: 1892–c. 1915.

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:TourbillonDetached lever escapement

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