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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Open-face pocket watch

Enamelled Silver Gilt Chinese Market Pocket Watch

Partially verified

This mid-19th century open-face pocket watch was manufactured for the Chinese market and features a silver-gilt case heavily ornamented with split pearls and blue champlevé enamel. The reverse of the case displays a polychrome enamel portrait of a young woman against a blue ground. The watch employs a key-wound, bar-style movement with gilded bridges, which are intricate and engraved. It incorporates a suspended going barrel, blue steel screws and stop-work, and a duplex escapement with a five-arm polished steel balance wheel. A garnet endstone is set into the balance cock. Timekeeping is indicated on a white enamel dial with Roman numerals and a central seconds hand, with winding and setting performed via a gilt cuvette. The overall condition is described by the source as excellent, though specific dimensions and service history are omitted.

Rear view of the pocket watch showing the polychrome enamel portrait of a young woman.
Rear view of the pocket watch showing the polychrome enamel portrait of a young woman. — Zamanito / Pieces of Time. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
zamanito.com
Category
Pocket watch · Open-face pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Richardson, London
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
mid-19th century
Source-reported place
Not established
Source-reported serial
1571

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

The pocket watch features an open-face design constructed from silver gilt. The visual presentation of the case is defined by extensive decoration; the bezel, bow, and pendant are inset with split pearls, while the border is accented with blue champlevé enamel. The reverse of the case displays a polychrome enamel portrait of a young woman, set against a solid blue backdrop.

The dial is composed of white enamel, featuring slim Roman numeral indices. It is equipped with gilt hands and a central seconds hand, intended for center-sweep timing. Winding and time-setting operations are accessed via the gilt cuvette, which requires the use of a key.

Evidence for this section
  • “قاب ساعت با طراحی نامتعارف از جنس نقره با روکش طلا (Silver Gilt) ساخته شده است”
  • “بخش قدامی زه (Bezel)، جلوی آویز بیضی‌شکل و حلقه آویز (Bow) با مرواریدهای شکافته (Split pearls) مرصع‌کاری شده‌اند”
  • “صفحه ساعت از مینای سفید با ارقام باریک رومی، عقربه‌های طلاکاری‌شده و عقربه ثانیه‌شمار مرکزی تشکیل شده”

Movement and Escapement

The watch is powered by a key-wound, bar-movement caliber. The bridges are gilded and decorated with detailed, relief-style engravings, consistent with horological production for the 19th-century Chinese market. Mechanical features include a suspended going barrel and components such as the screws and stop-work lever fabricated from blue steel.

Technical regulation is provided by a five-arm polished steel balance wheel. The escapement is of the duplex type, featuring brass wheels and jeweled pivots. The balance cock is engraved and fitted with a garnet endstone, while the regulator lever is constructed from polished steel.

Evidence for this section
  • “موتور ساعت دارای ساختار میله‌ای (Bar movement) زراندود و کوک‌شونده با کلید است”
  • “خروس تعادل بخش‌بندی‌شده و حکاکی‌شده دارای سنگ لعل انتهایی (Garnet endstone) بوده”
  • “سیستم انتقال نیرو از چرخ‌دنگ دوپلکس (Duplex escapement) با چرخ‌دنگ برنجی و محورهای سنگ‌دار بهره می‌برد”

Signature and Attribution

The watch bears the signature of 'Richardson, London' on the movement, accompanied by the number 1571. The object is attributed by the source to the mid-19th century and is described as having been specifically produced for the Chinese market, a sector of watchmaking known for its ornate finish and mechanical complexity.

The source provides a record of the object's attribution based on the Pieces of Time catalogue entry. While the general provenance relates to the Chinese market, the source does not list a specific chain of ownership or historical documentation beyond the auction record.

Evidence for this section
  • “طبق منبع به‌طور اختصاصی برای بازار چین (Chinese Market) ساخته شده است”

Open research questions

  • What is the historical evidence for the output of a maker named Richardson in London for the 19th-century Chinese market?
  • Are there recorded examples of this specific movement number in major horological databases?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Enamelled Silver Gilt Chinese Market Pocket Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Case materialSilver gilt“Silver Gilt”
Dial typeWhite enamel“صفحه ساعت از مینای سفید”
EscapementDuplex“چرخ‌دنگ دوپلکس”
ConditionExcellent“وضعیت کلی این قطعه بسیار عالی (Excellent overall condition) توصیف شده است.”

Visible details

  • The movement is signed 'Richardson, London 1571'
  • The dial features a central seconds hand and Roman numerals
  • The case bezel and bow are set with split pearls
  • The reverse shows a polychrome enamel portrait

Research qualifications

  • The source does not provide specific dimensions
  • Service history is not documented in the source

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

Consulted source

Enamelled Silver Gilt Chinese Market Pocket Watch

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 3c25114caf

Terms in this record

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

Other open-face pocket watch records