Featured What can you tell me about my watch?

I'd appreciate some thoughts about this watch. The little symbol kind of looks like a duck, and I think the mark inside the case says 14k but it's not clear.

Since the watch is on the small side and has flower decorations, is it a woman's watch? If so, it probably belonged to my grandmother or great aunt.

I don't know how to open it up to see the works... it would be great if someone could tell me how to do it without damaging anything.

Thanks!

 

Yes, it's a ladies fob watch from about 1900 or maybe a decade earlier.
It is a Swiss made and cased example, almost certainly with a cylinder movement, stem wound and pin set.
The case is lightly made and quite possibly the inner cover is base metal, marked 'metal' or 'cuivre'. The gold weight would only be about 10 grams.

THe inner back opens in the same way as the outer back.

 

Pat P, that is a beautiful watch.

 

Thanks, Af and Yourturn.

My grandmother was born in 1884 and my great aunt in 1877, so those dates fit. Or, perhaps, it belonged to one of my great grandmother's originally. I wish my mother had left notes with these types of things.

Is anyone familiar with the mark? I said duck in my first post, but it might be a chicken?

 

Some type of bird >>>???
The workmanship is lovely !!

So...Pat...do you keep notes with all your stuff ??

 

Isn't it lovely? I really like it. I have to look more closely with under a loupe... took the photos quite a while ago and don't remember much.

LOL, Komo! Nope, I don't. But we don't have kids and I'm hoping to actually sell off most of our things ourselves. It's going very, very slowly, though.

 

Slow & steady wins the race.......good luck !

 

Thanks!

 

What are the appropriate terms for the decorative work on the face and the case?

 

What you have here is a lovely ladies' 14kt gold pocketwatch, from about 1890-1910.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the case has been both engine-turned and chased...?

The cuvette (dust cover) will open exactly the same way as the caseback. Use a flathead screwdriver or other similar object (knife-blade, etc) to find the pry-point in the case - insert the blade and pop the case open. Sometimes you can just use your fingernail, but I'm not sure how easy that'll be on a watch of this size.

 

Thanks, Shangas. I'll look up the terms you suggested and will try to open it up.

 

I think there's some engraving going on there also...

 

Could be. Repousse is another term that comes to mind, but I honestly don't know what's what with terminology for decorated metal. I just know what I like.

 

Repousse would be hammering from the backside !

 

Hi Komo,
Oh no, you did not say that.
greg

 

Komo, I know that, but I don't know how to tell the difference in the finished product.

 

Chasing is engraving a flat surface to bring extra detail to decorations.

Repousse is hammering decorations into the metal from inside to out.

I'd say this is chasing.

 

Chasing is not engraving.... engraving removes metal,chasing moves/compresses metal.The back of the case looks die struck,the die was engraved.

 

You have to study the other side of the cover to see the work that went on there...& while it's not a mirror image ...the reverse ...( Not backside.....Happy Greg ?? ) ...will show a reverse image of the front.

This bracelet shows engraving....& chasing ( the punched dots on either side of the eye) , but the reverse is clean and flat....




This one shows Repousse ...in the center ...clearly seen on the reverse ....in reverse...

 

Adopting?