Featured Little Old Enameled Watch and Fob.......

Just digging around and curious if anyone can shed anymore light on this little non working watch!! Have had it around for MANY years just because I like it.....and I'm not sure, but don't really think the timepiece and fob started out life together.....Mom may have put them together......whatever, here 'tis for your perusal.....I don't see a date anywhere, I do see inside the back of the case says SWISS among other things and inside the watch workings I see a K......the green "stone" does NOT feel like plastic.... but then I also don't know what it is....maybe you 'stoners' or 'stonies' might have a better clue.....and can anyone put somewhat of an age on it???? AS ALWAYS, I am MOST appreciative of any and ALL help!!!!!!

 

Swiss 800 silver marks (see the attached page) pre-1934.

http://www.925-1000.com/foreign_marks3.html

Looks like it also has German silver marks as well.

 

WOW Bakers!!!!! Maaaaan, you have to have some GOOD EYES for that squiggle!!!!!! THANK YOU so MUCH!!!!!

 

You're very welcome, Sue.

 

Googling "Argent dore" brings up tons of lovelies ! I would wear vests again just so I could sport this watch .

 

Gold over silver, of course. Having trouble with the even tinier mark to the right. May have something to do with the gold content, but maybe not.

 

Oh, Aquitaine, how pretty!

Bakers has done a great job on the metal. Hopefully, Dragonflywink will check in on the enamel.

 

And in taking a WAG and looking up the name ARGENT DORE, it brings up some VERY similar .......oooooops.....Johnnycb just beat me to it!!!!! Wonder what it would/could cost to get it running..........hmmmmmmmm THANK YOU TOO Johnnycb!!!!! Everyone that applies to!!!!

 

And I'd still love to know if the 'stone' is anything or something manufactured back then!!!!!

 

Im guessing foil backed glass since the setting doesnt seem to be as fine as the watch .

 

No foil backing......I've shown both sides.........top 2 images.....

 

There's mark on the loop of the fob (above the grapes and slightly left of center.)

 

I especially like the plate.

 

Hi,
The green engine turning enamel is much like malachite. It is one of my favorite stones. Is the big green stone faceted on the back or just smooth?
greg

 

@Bakersgma I used my microscope to get better images FWIW....if it helps any......the right image looks like it could be a cat, a beaver or a bird!!! Now I'll go look at the mark on the fob you saw.....

 

Hi Greg, Top two images......it's smooth (but scratched somewhat) on both sides.......And while I had my microscope out, here's a close-up of the stone in the fob.....

 

@Bakersgma ....here are the images of the fob loop......the dogs are identical on both sides, so is the loop pretty much so......nothing really there to speak of that I can see, but at least we looked, and thank you again!!!!!!!

 

One shot of the fob makes it looks like what I'd call "dragon's egg" glass. I've seen it called Peking Glass too. The setting is probably gold-filled.

 

Maybe this was said and I missed it.

Gold plated silver with Guilloche (sp) Enamel. Dates to early 1900s.

The watch fob is separate from the watch, and looks to be silver plated brass. I agree with evelyb that it is probably a piece of Peking Glass.

 

I think everything has been covered by others. In my opinion the watch dates from around 1900, it has a Swiss barred cylinder movement with one glaring abnormailty.The barrel has a wolf's tooth winding wheel BUT no appaerent pawl. Wolf's toothe winding would be an abnormailty on such a pedestrian movement.

If you go to wind it up, does the spring simply flop back again when you release the winding stem? I cannot see where a pawl should be and is missing.

The marks are entirely normal and typical, the bird is a quail. Argent Dore is silver gilt.

The fob is in my opnion a few decades earlier, made from a filled gold casing, thicker than your normal rolled gold, way thicker than plate but worn through in a typical manner. The usual term for this is a swivel fob.

If the watch will wind, a little test will see if the balance swings, twist the watch in the plane of the movement and see if the balance swings, then apply a little pressure to the wound up winder and see if that provokes a tick or two. If it does, persist till it keeps on ticking, this may take half an hour of false starts. Warming the thing up in a pocket helps.

Most frequently the failure of old watches to work is simply gummed up springs in barrels, once loosened they stay loose if the watch is wound now and again. By putting pressure on the train you are providing a manual power supply that the spring is failng to provide. That tiny bit of movement can be enough to ungum the train.

Nowadays it is probably worth less than you are liable to be charged by some one competent to strip and clean it.