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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Hunter-case pocket watch

Albert Duval 14kt Gold Hunter-case Watch

Partially verified

This yellow-metal hunter-case pocket watch is dated by the auction source to circa 1900 and catalogued as 14kt gold. The cuvette is engraved 'No. 20387 Albert Duval', providing the serial number and attribution. The source documents a 40 mm case weighing 43 grams, decorated with engraving and engine turning. The white dial is unmarked, featuring black Roman numerals, blued Breguet-style hands, and a sunken subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock. The internal movement is catalogued as a 15-jewel Swiss bar movement designed for key winding and setting.

Front view of the hunter-case pocket watch with opened front cover displaying the white Roman numeral dial and blued hands
Front view of the hunter-case pocket watch with opened front cover displaying the white Roman numeral dial and blued hands — Bonhams Skinner. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.bonhams.com
Category
Pocket watch · Hunter-case pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Albert Duval
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
10
Source-reported date
c. 1900
Country
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
20387

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Dial and Visual Presentation

The pocket watch features a white enamel-style dial displayed when the front hinged hunter lid is open. The catalog describes the dial as an unmarked Roman numeral configuration with sunken subsidiary seconds and blued Breguet-style hands.

Visual inspection confirms black Roman numerals representing the hour markers along an outer track, blued Breguet-style hands, and a sunken subsidiary seconds register positioned directly above the 6 o'clock mark. The external housing includes a ribbed pendant fitted with a fluted crown and a decorative suspension bow.

Evidence for this section
  • “Dial: unmarked Roman numeral with sunk seconds, blued Breguet-style hands”
  • “Front hinged hunter lid opened to expose a white enamel-style dial.”
  • “Dial features black Roman numeral hour indices with an outer track.”
  • “Sunken subsidiary seconds dial above the 6 o'clock position.”
  • “Ribbed pendant with a fluted crown and decorative suspension bow.”

Case Specifications and Cuvette Inscription

The catalog describes the watch as a 14kt gold hunter-case watch measuring 40 mm and weighing 43g. The exterior case is listed as engraved and engine-turned.

An inscription on the cuvette is recorded in the source as "No. 20387 Albert Duval,". Hallmark stamps and interior engravings are not recorded in this source or visible in the lot photograph, leaving the 14kt gold content strictly catalog-reported.

Evidence for this section
  • “Albert Duval 14kt Gold Hunter-case Watch”
  • “Case: engraved and engine-turned, cuvette engraved, "No. 20387 Albert Duval,"”
  • “Size: 40 mm”
  • “Weight: 43g”

Reported Movement and Dating

The internal mechanism is catalogued by the auctioneer as a "key-wind, key-set 15-jewel Swiss bar" movement. The movement itself is not illustrated in the provided lot imagery.

The auction source assigns a date of "c. 1900" to the watch. No documentation, caliber hallmarks, or explanatory notes are provided in the source to contextualize this circa date alongside the key-wind and Swiss bar movement configuration.

Evidence for this section
  • “Movement: key-wind, key-set 15-jewel Swiss bar”
  • “Date: c. 1900”

Open research questions

  • What specific purity hallmarks or assay marks are struck on the case and cuvette to substantiate the stated 14kt gold content?
  • Does the Swiss bar movement carry any manufacturer signatures or serial numbers matching the cuvette engraving 'No. 20387 Albert Duval'?
  • What basis was used for the 'c. 1900' dating given that key-wind, key-set Swiss bar movements were predominantly manufactured in earlier decades of the 19th century?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Albert Duval 14kt Gold Hunter-case Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Movement typekey-wind, key-set 15-jewel Swiss bar“Movement: key-wind, key-set 15-jewel Swiss bar”
Dial descriptionunmarked Roman numeral with sunk seconds, blued Breguet-style hands“Dial: unmarked Roman numeral with sunk seconds, blued Breguet-style hands”
Case inscriptionengraved and engine-turned, cuvette engraved, "No. 20387 Albert Duval,"“Case: engraved and engine-turned, cuvette engraved, "No. 20387 Albert Duval,"”
Diameter40 mm“Size: 40 mm”
Weight43g“Weight: 43g”
Auction ResultSold for US$510 inc. premium“Sold for US$510 inc. premium”
Lot NumberLot 10“Lot 10”

Visible details

  • Front hinged hunter lid opened to expose a white enamel-style dial.
  • Dial features black Roman numeral hour indices with an outer track.
  • Blued Breguet-style hour and minute hands.
  • Sunken subsidiary seconds dial above the 6 o'clock position.
  • Ribbed pendant with a fluted crown and decorative suspension bow.

Research qualifications

  • Engraving on the cuvette and movement details are catalog-reported and not visible in the provided image.
  • Gold purity (14kt) is stated by the source and cannot be independently confirmed via visible hallmarks.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Bonhams Skinner : Albert Duval 14kt Gold Hunter-case Watch c. 1900

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 9948f56101

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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