Pocket Watch Question:

[Drummerof65']

I had a quick question regarding a specific pocket watch to ask please:

The attached pictures state that it's a Swiss-made "Cylindre Huit Rubis made between 1855-1857." However, in doing some light research, it would 'seem' that not only does it lean towards the Victorian post-war era (1870s-1900), but also that it could be a ladies watch due to: the engraved flowers on the back and the more ornate decorative around the watch piece as a whole. Interestingly, a soldier's initials are etched on the inside which makes it appear to be war-used, but if the watch was made post-war the initials could have been, of course, added later....

Your thoughts? Thank you!

 

[CW Watch & Sword Guy]

Hi, please show me the movement, i.e., the works of the watch, and show me what is engraved on the dust cover (i.e., the inner rear lid), and I might be able to help you more. Also, what is the diameter of the case? The fact that the watch has no seconds hand does suggest that it is a small ladies watch.

 

[Rhea Cole]

I had a quick question regarding a specific pocket watch to ask please:

The attached pictures state that it's a Swiss-made "Cylindre Huit Rubis made between 1855-1857." However, in doing some light research, it would 'seem' that not only does it lean towards the Victorian post-war era (1870s-1900), but also that it could be a ladies watch due to: the engraved flowers on the back and the more ornate decorative around the watch piece as a whole. Interestingly, a soldier's initials are etched on the inside which makes it appear to be war-used, but if the watch was made post-war the initials could have been, of course, added later....

Your thoughts? Thank you!

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This has been an interesting object to research. The shield & decoration on the back is a regular factory design. The serial number will give you the date.

I don't know how many examples have failed me up for sale. Prices are all over the place.

Google " Cylindre Huit Rubis" & sort out the similar auction details for your watch.

For example read more here.

Link

Antique Solid Silver Key Wind Pocket Watch - Cylindre Huit Rubis

Antique Solid Silver Key Wind Pocket Watch - Cylindre Huit RubisCompletely serviced and now in orginal condition.Movement and case were cleaned accurately and the movement was oiled additionally.The case is in very good condition,The case covers open and close smoothly, the watch runs well and keep

sallysales.patternbyetsy.com

 

[CW Watch & Sword Guy]

This has been an interesting object to research. The shield & decoration on the back is a regular factory design. The serial number will give you the date.

I don't know how many examples have failed me up for sale. Prices are all over the place.

Google " Cylindre Huit Rubis" & sort out the similar auction details for your watch.

For example read more here.

Link

Antique Solid Silver Key Wind Pocket Watch - Cylindre Huit Rubis

Antique Solid Silver Key Wind Pocket Watch - Cylindre Huit RubisCompletely serviced and now in orginal condition.Movement and case were cleaned accurately and the movement was oiled additionally.The case is in very good condition,The case covers open and close smoothly, the watch runs well and keep

sallysales.patternbyetsy.com

Ok, that is a Swiss Lepine Calibre Type V movement with a cylinder escapement and claiming to have 8 ruby jewels (in four pairs) for the train wheel pinions. (A lever escapement watch with 15 jewels - 8 train wheel jewels, plus four for the hole jewels and endstones on the balance staff, and three for the lever escapement (a roller jewel, plus jeweled entrance and exit pallets on the lever) - was considered "full jewelled" at the time, and ruby jewels were the most desirable kind of jewels, other than occasional diamond endstones on the balance cocks of some higher grade watches. A cylinder escapement needed fewer jewels for the escapement, if any.)

The Lepine Calibre Type V, a term which refers to the plate and bridge configuration of the movement, was produced in the many hundreds of thousands, perhaps even the millions, by many different Swiss makers, and had a production period that began somewhat before the Civil War and extended a bit beyond it. So that is a good sign. It was the most common Swiss export watch variety during the American Civil War. The "escapement" of a watch is the oscillator which regularly stops and releases the wheel train so that the watch hands can advance in a controlled manner. Cylinder escapements were an older style of escapement than the detached lever. They were perhaps a bit cheaper to make than a decent lever, but also mostly less accurate timekeepers.

The Swiss movement discussed here has a simple steel, or perhaps even a brass balance wheel without temperature compensation, which is similarly lower grade, as is the absence of a seconds hand, and the regulator is set way over to one end, past the end of its normal range, indicating that the watch is not keeping adequate time, despite the seller's claim to the contrary. The silver case and the movement have matching serial numbers, which is a good thing, and also not all that common for Swiss export watches of the CW period. The case seems on the light side, which is typical for Swiss export cases, but the condition seems good, and I've seen far worse.

 

[Drummerof65']

Hi, please show me the movement, i.e., the works of the watch, and show me what is engraved on the dust cover (i.e., the inner rear lid), and I might be able to help you more. Also, what is the diameter of the case? The fact that the watch has no seconds hand does suggest that it is a small ladies watch.

Hi,

Thank you for the response / info. Actually, and unfortunately, I don't have any any further specs to share as this watch is not in my possession but displayed in a museum. Below are the last of the images - perhaps they will lead to a few more clues. For instance, in the one image, there appears to be some numericals but hard to see....

Thank you again for any and all information, especially if you feel that it could be pre-war, a wartime piece, or late-war if possible to date.

Sincerely,