
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Unusual Gold Cylinder Pocket Watch, 1821
- Maker / attribution
- Unrecorded in source
- Date
- 1821
- Historical period
- Precision & Scientific Horology (1750 – 1850)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 4690
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 4690)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Unusual Gold Cylinder 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 4690), this is a pocket watch, dated 1821. The Atlas places it in the Precision & Scientific Horology period (1750 – 1850) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. 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 “Unusual Gold Cylinder Pocket Watch – 1821,” a remarkable artifact from the early 19th century that embodies both elegance and craftsmanship. This pocket watch is a true testament to the artistry of its era, featuring a unique design encased in a stunning 18-carat gold open face. The watch is keywind, boasting a gilt bar movement and a deep freestanding suspended going barrel, showcasing the intricate mechanics that make it not only a timekeeper but a masterpiece. Its polished steel stopwork adds a sophisticated touch, while the plain cock with a polished steel regulator and a plain three-arm gilt balance with a blue steel spiral hairspring highlight the meticulous attention to detail. The cylinder, crafted from polished steel, pairs seamlessly with the steel escape wheel, ensuring precision and reliability. The silver dial, beautifully engine turned, is adorned with Roman numerals and complemented by elegant blue steel Breguet hands, offering a timeless aesthetic. The watch’s movement is ingeniously hinged at 9 o’clock, with winding and setting achieved through the gold dome, reflecting the innovative spirit of its makers. The maker’s mark “WM” further authenticates this piece, which is hallmarked in London in 1821. With a diameter of 44 mm and a depth of 8 mm, this watch is not just an accessory, but a piece of history, perfect for collectors and enthusiasts of horological art. This early 19th Century cylinder watch features a unique design in a beautiful gold open face case. The watch is keywind, with a gilt bar movement and a deep freestanding suspended going barrel. The polished steel stopwork adds a touch of elegance to the piece. The watch also features a plain cock with a polished steel regulator, as well as a plain three-arm gilt balance with a blue steel spiral hairspring. The cylinder of the watch is made of polished steel, while the escape wheel is made of steel. The silver dial is beautifully engine turned and adorned with Roman numerals, complemented by elegant blue steel Breguet hands. The 18 carat open face case of the watch is also engine turned and features a reeded middle. The movement of the watch is hinged at 9 o’clock and wound and set through the gold dome. The maker’s mark “WM” adds further authenticity to the piece. Anonymous Hallmarked London 1821 Diameter 44 mm Depth 8 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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