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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Chinese market pocket watch

Chinese Market Gold and Enamel Captains Watch

Partially verified

This gold, open-face pocket watch was manufactured in Switzerland circa 1820, specifically for the Chinese market. It features a decorative case with a multi-colored enamel painting of a couple with a child on the reverse. The bezel and bow are embellished with red, white, and blue champlevé enamel. The watch has a white enamel dial with two subsidiary dials showing Roman numerals for dual time zone tracking. It includes a central seconds hand and a subsidiary seconds indicator. The movement is key-wound with gilded, engraved plates, a suspended barrel, and a crab-tooth duplex escapement designed to simulate a ticking seconds movement. A protective glass cover with a gilded, engraved spring-loaded bezel is present over the movement.

Reverse view of the gold and enamel Chinese market pocket watch.
Reverse view of the gold and enamel Chinese market pocket watch. — Zamanito/Pieces of Time. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
zamanito.com
Category
Pocket watch · Chinese market pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Not established
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
circa 1820
Source-reported place
Switzerland

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 Exterior Decoration

The watch is housed in an open-face gold case. The reverse is decorated with a detailed polychrome enamel miniature depicting a man and a woman in period attire holding a child. The surrounding bezel, the pendant, and the bow are decorated with transparent champlevé enamel in a palette of red, white, and blue.

The decorative scheme is consistent across the visible components of the case assembly, indicating a coordinated design for the Chinese market. The champlevé elements provide a contrast to the gold surfaces of the case structure.

Evidence for this section
  • “قاب بزرگ و روباز ساعت از جنس طلا بوده و بخش پشتی آن با نقاشی میناکاری چندرنگ ظریفی از یک زوج با پوشش کلاسیک در کنار یک کودک تزیین شده است”
  • “زه قاب با میناکاری شانپلوه (Champlevé) شفاف به رنگ‌های قرمز، سفید و آبی آراسته شده”

Dial and Timekeeping

The dial is constructed from white enamel and utilizes a dual-register layout to facilitate the monitoring of two separate time zones. Each subsidiary dial features Roman numerals. A central seconds hand is present along with a subsidiary seconds indicator.

The hands are manufactured in distinct styles: the time-telling hands are gilded in the Breguet style, while the seconds hands are fashioned from blued steel. The arrangement is intended to display local time alongside the time of a home port.

Evidence for this section
  • “صفحه ساعت از جنس مینای سفید بوده و شامل دو صفحه فرعی مجزا با اعداد رومی برای نمایش هم‌زمان دو منطقه زمانی است”
  • “عقربه‌های ثانیه‌شمار از جنس فولاد آبی‌شده و عقربه‌های زمان‌سنج زراندود طرح Breguet است”

Movement and Escapement

The movement is a key-wound mechanism featuring gilded plates and bridges with ornamental engraving. It is equipped with a suspended barrel and a polished steel three-arm balance wheel with a helical hairspring.

The escapement is a crab-tooth duplex type, specifically designed with two locking teeth on the escape wheel to produce a simulated seconds beat. Access to the movement is protected by an internal glass cover that features an engraved, gilded spring-loaded bezel.

Evidence for this section
  • “موتور ساعت از نوع کوک با کلید با پل‌ها و صفحات زراندود با حکاکی‌های پرکار”
  • “سیستم مهار دوپلکس دندانه‌خرچنگی (Crab tooth duplex) است که چرخ دنگ آن دارای دو دندانه قفل‌کننده برای شبیه‌سازی ضربات ثانیه می‌باشد”

Open research questions

  • Identify the specific Swiss workshop or maker associated with this style of Chinese market watch
  • Determine if the 'Captains' designation implies a specific historical provenance related to maritime navigation

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Chinese Market Gold and Enamel Captains Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Datecirca 1820“حدود ۱۸۲۰”
EscapementCrab-tooth duplex“سیستم مهار دوپلکس دندانه‌خرچنگی (Crab tooth duplex)”
DecorationChamplevé enamel and polychrome painting“قاب بزرگ و روباز ساعت از جنس طلا بوده و بخش پشتی آن با نقاشی میناکاری چندرنگ ظریفی از یک زوج با پوشش کلاسیک در کنار یک کودک تزیین شده است. همچنین زه قاب با میناکاری شانپلوه (Champlevé) شفاف به رنگ‌های قرمز، سفید و آبی آراسته شده”
FunctionsDual time zone display“شامل دو صفحه فرعی مجزا با اعداد رومی برای نمایش هم‌زمان دو منطقه زمانی است”
Movement typeKey-wound with gilded finish“موتور ساعت از نوع کوک با کلید با پل‌ها و صفحات زراندود با حکاکی‌های پرکار”

Visible details

  • Reverse enamel painting depicts a couple and a child
  • Two subsidiary time dials with Roman numerals
  • Champlevé enamel decoration on the bezel and pendant
  • Protective inner glass cover over the movement

Research qualifications

  • Specific maker is not identified in the source
  • The term 'Captains watch' is described as a functional category rather than a specific model name

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

Consulted source

Chinese Market Gold and Enamel Captains Watch

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 3631993508

Terms in this record

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