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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Stop watch

Charles Louis Faivre Gold Hunter Case Stop Watch

Partially verified

This gold hunter case stop watch is attributed to maker Charles Louis Faivre of Le Locle, Switzerland, bearing the serial number 6273. The timepiece features a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial located at the 6 o'clock position. The dial also displays a peripheral scale marked with numerals such as 5, 50, and 75, oriented toward 30. Operation is controlled via a stem-wound spring and a button mechanism, while internal function relies on a lever escapement with a speed regulation feature. The piece was bequeathed to the collection by Mr. William Henry Ingram, a Melbourne-based retailer whose name appears on the dial. Inscriptions on the internal works, cover, and dial confirm the association with Faivre's workshop in Le Locle. The watch measures 5.6 cm in outside diameter and 1.5 cm in thickness.

Gold hunter case stop watch showing the dial with Roman numerals and the stop watch timing scale.
Gold hunter case stop watch showing the dial with Roman numerals and the stop watch timing scale. — Museums Victoria. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
collections.museumsvictoria.com.au
Category
Pocket watch · Stop watch
Maker / attribution
Charles Louise Faivre
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
ST 23081
Source-reported date
Not established
Source-reported place
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
6273

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 Design

The watch is housed in a gold hunter case, measuring 5.6 centimeters in diameter with a thickness of 1.5 centimeters. The white enamel dial is printed with black Roman numerals for the primary time indication.

A subsidiary seconds dial is positioned at the 6 o'clock mark. Surrounding the main dial is a specialized scale marked with various numerals, including 5, 50, and 75, that extends toward 30, supporting the stop watch functionality. The dial is signed with the retailer's name, 'W. H. Ingram, Melbourne', indicating its history within the Australian market.

Evidence for this section
  • “Gold case.”
  • “White enamel dial has black roman numerals and seconds dial at 6, with scale '5, 50, 75....30'around dial.”
  • “Dial is marked 'W. H. Ingram, Melbourne'.”

Movement and Mechanism

The internal movement is identified by the serial number 6273, which is also echoed on the inner cover. The watch is wound via the stem and button assembly, which also serves to operate the stop watch features.

A speed regulation scale, described as 'fast to slow', is integrated into the movement, allowing for manual calibration of the watch's accuracy. The works are explicitly marked to link the watch to the workshop of Charles Louis Faivre, confirming the manufacturing origin in Switzerland.

Evidence for this section
  • “Stem and button wound spring; lever escapement.”
  • “Scale fast to slow.”
  • “Works are marked 'Chs Ls Faivre, Locle'.”

Signatures and Identifiers

The object contains several inscriptions that aid in its identification and authentication. The movement bears the signature 'Chs Ls Faivre, Locle', while the works cover contains the serial number '6273' alongside a set of stamps including '41652 K 18' in a diamond mark. The inside of the dial cover is also signed 'Chls Ls Faivre Locle' followed by the number 6273.

These markings are corroborated by the museum registration records which confirm the acquisition from William Henry Ingram in 1949.

Evidence for this section
  • “Works cover is marked '6273, 75' [in diamond] '41652 K 18' [in diamond].”
  • “Works are marked 'Chs Ls Faivre, Locle'.”

Open research questions

  • What is the approximate date of manufacture for serial number 6273?
  • What was the specific function of the peripheral scale marked 5, 50, 75 to 30?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Charles Louis Faivre Gold Hunter Case Stop Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerCharles Louis Faivre“Association: type: Maker, name: Charles Louis Faivre”
Serial Number6273“Works cover is marked '6273”
RetailerW. H. Ingram“Dial marked 'W. H. Ingram, Melbourne'”
Dimensions5.6 cm diameter“5.6 cm (Outside Diameter)”
Movement TypeLever escapement“lever escapement”
MaterialGold“Gold case”
Dial FeaturesRoman numerals and scale“White enamel dial has black roman numerals and seconds dial at 6, with scale '5, 50, 75....30'around dial.”
ProvenanceWilliam Henry Ingram bequest“Bequest from Mr William Henry Ingram, 10 May 1949”

Visible details

  • White enamel dial with Roman numerals
  • Subsidiary seconds dial at the 6 o'clock position
  • Peripheral timing scale on dial
  • Stem-wound mechanism with a button for stop watch function

Research qualifications

  • Date of manufacture is not specified in the provided records
  • The internal mechanism's specific lever escapement variety is not detailed beyond the general type

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

Consulted source

Stop Watch - Charles Louise Faivre

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record 21e86d5693

Terms in this record

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