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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Half hunter pocket watch

Camerer Kuss & Co Half Hunter Pocket Watch with Chain

Partially verified

This 18-karat gold half hunter pocket watch was retailed by Camerer Kuss & Co of 522 Oxford Street, London, and dates to 1881. The timepiece features an engine-turned hinged case with a front cover displaying a blue Roman numeral chapter ring. The watch is powered by a gilt three-quarter plate English lever movement, which includes a cut and compensated bi-metallic balance. The movement and the case are both numbered 31600. The white dial is fitted with black Roman numeral hour markers, an outer minute track, and a subsidiary seconds dial at the six o'clock position. The hands are blued steel in a double spade pattern. The piece conforms to the London hallmark requirements for 1881. The watch has a diameter of 49 mm and the case is marked with the initials J.S.

18-karat gold half-hunter pocket watch with 9-karat gold chain, featuring an engine-turned case, subsidiary seconds dial, and key-wind mechanism.
18-karat gold half-hunter pocket watch with 9-karat gold chain, featuring an engine-turned case, subsidiary seconds dial, and key-wind mechanism. — Bonhams, via Invaluable. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
orbiscollectibles.com
Category
Pocket watch · Half hunter pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Camerer Kuss & Co
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
1881
Source-reported place
United Kingdom
Source-reported serial
31600

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

Case and Dial Construction

The watch is housed in an 18-karat gold hinged case characterized by an engine-turned surface. The half-hunter design incorporates a front cover featuring a blue-toned chapter ring containing Roman numerals, allowing the time to be read without opening the watch. The dial itself is finished in white and provides a contrast for the black Roman numeral hour markers.

A subsidiary seconds dial is positioned at the six o'clock location, complemented by a thin black outer minute track. Time is displayed via a set of blued steel hands designed in a double spade shape. The overall diameter of the watch measures 49 mm, and the case bears the identifier 31600, along with the stamped initials J.S.

Evidence for this section
  • “features an engine-turned hinged case with a blue Roman numeral chapter ring on the front cover”
  • “subsidiary seconds dial located at the six o'clock position”
  • “overall diameter of the watch is 49 mm”

Movement and Escapement

The internal mechanism is a gilt three-quarter plate English lever movement. This configuration was a characteristic design for English pocket watches of the period. The movement is serial numbered 31600, matching the number found on the watch case.

To ensure chronometric regulation, the balance is a cut and compensated bi-metallic type, intended to mitigate the effects of temperature variations on the hairspring. The watch operates via a key-wind system, requiring the provided key to tension the mainspring.

Evidence for this section
  • “gilt three-quarter plate English lever design”
  • “featuring a cut and compensated bi-metallic balance”
  • “numbered 31600”

Provenance and Markings

The object is identified as a retail piece from Camerer Kuss & Co, located at 522 Oxford Street in London. The watch is fully consistent with the London hallmark standards for the year 1881.

The maker of the case is identified only by the initials J.S. stamped into the metal.

Evidence for this section
  • “retailed by Camerer Kuss & Co of 522 Oxford Street, London”
  • “conforms to the London hallmark for 1881”
  • “case, also bearing the number 31600, is stamped with the maker's initials J.S.”

Open research questions

  • Can the maker initials J.S. be definitively linked to a specific casemaker operating in London in 1881?
  • Is there evidence to suggest the movement was made in-house by Camerer Kuss & Co or sourced from a trade finisher?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Camerer Kuss & Co Half Hunter Pocket Watch with Chain
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerCamerer Kuss & Co“retailed by Camerer Kuss & Co of 522 Oxford Street, London”
Date1881“London Hallmark for 1881”
Serial Number31600“numbered 31600”
Movement TypeGilt 3/4 plate English lever“gilt three-quarter plate English lever design”
BalanceCut and compensated bi-metallic“cut and compensated bi-metallic balance”
Case MarkingsInitials J.S.“stamped with the maker's initials J.S.”

Visible details

  • Front cover features a blue Roman numeral chapter ring
  • Subsidiary seconds dial located at six o'clock
  • Engine-turned finish on the hinged case exterior
  • Key-wind mechanism accessed via the case

Research qualifications

  • The initials J.S. on the case indicate a maker, but the source does not identify this individual beyond the initials
  • The exact origin of the movement blank is not specified, only that it is a three-quarter plate design

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

Consulted source

Camerer Kuss & Co 18k gold key wind half hunter pocket watch with 9k gold chain, 1881

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 6709387afa

Terms in this record

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

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