Pocket watch · Open-face pocket watch with travel case

Helvetia gunmetal pocket watch in silver-mounted leather travel case

Partially verified

This 50mm open-face pocket watch was manufactured by the General Watch Co. (Helvetia) in La Chaux-de-Fonds during the early 20th century. The watch features a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial positioned at six o'clock. It is equipped with gilt spade-style hands and a blued steel seconds hand. The movement is a gilt three-quarter plate lever mechanism, identified by serial number 5873, containing a going-barrel, a club-tooth lever escapement, and a bimetallic balance. The timepiece is housed in a burgundy leather fitted travel case with a green velvet interior and an English sterling silver front panel that includes a glazed aperture. The silver mount is hallmarked for Birmingham, 1903, and displays an engraved foliate monogram.

A General Watch Co. (Helvetia) open-face pocket watch displayed beside its burgundy leather travel case, which features a silver front panel with a glazed aperture. — Moorabool Auctions. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source: orbiscollectibles.com
Category: Pocket watch · Open-face pocket watch with travel case
Maker / attribution: General Watch Co. (Helvetia)
Reference: Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier: 221
Source-reported date: 1903
Source-reported place: Switzerland
Source-reported serial: 5873

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

Watch and Dial Details

The pocket watch is a 50mm open-face model with a gunmetal case. The dial is composed of white enamel and features black Roman numerals to indicate the hours. A subsidiary seconds dial is located at the six o'clock position.

The watch hands include gilt spade-style indicators for the time, complemented by a blued steel seconds hand. The timepiece was manufactured by the General Watch Co. (Helvetia) in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Evidence for this section

“This 50mm gunmetal open-face pocket watch, manufactured by the General Watch Co. (Helvetia) in La Chaux-de-Fonds”
“The watch features a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial at the six o'clock position.”
“It is equipped with gilt spade-style hands and a blued steel seconds hand.”

Movement Construction

The internal mechanism is a gilt three-quarter plate lever movement. It is identified by the serial number 5873.

The movement configuration incorporates a going-barrel for energy storage, a club-tooth lever escapement for regulating the pulse of the watch, and a bimetallic balance.

Evidence for this section

“The movement is a substantial gilt three-quarter plate lever mechanism, identified by serial number 5873”
“featuring a going-barrel, a club-tooth lever escapement, and a bimetallic balance.”

Travel Case and Silver Mount

The watch is contained within a fitted burgundy leather travel case, which is lined with green velvet. The front of the case features a sterling silver panel with a glazed aperture to allow the user to view the watch dial without removing it from the case.

The sterling silver mount is hallmarked for Birmingham, 1903. The surface of the silver panel is decorated with an engraved foliate monogram.

Evidence for this section

“The watch is presented in an original burgundy leather fitted travel case, which includes a green velvet interior and a sterling silver front panel featuring a glazed aperture”
“The silver mount, hallmarked for Birmingham in 1903, is decorated with an engraved foliate monogram.”

Open research questions

Does the serial number 5873 correspond to a specific production year recorded by the General Watch Co.?
Is the watch movement original to the gunmetal case, or was it potentially adapted for the 1903 silver travel mount?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Helvetia gunmetal pocket watch in silver-mounted leather travel case
Field	Source-reported value	Source quotation
Maker	General Watch Co. (Helvetia)	“manufactured by the General Watch Co. (Helvetia)”
Serial Number	5873	“identified by serial number 5873”
Movement Type	Three-quarter plate lever	“substantial gilt three-quarter plate lever mechanism”
Case Material	Gunmetal	“50mm gunmetal open-face pocket watch”
Escapement	Club-tooth lever	“club-tooth lever escapement”
Mount Hallmark	Birmingham 1903	“silver mount, hallmarked for Birmingham in 1903”
Travel Case Material	Burgundy leather, green velvet, sterling silver	“burgundy leather fitted travel case, which includes a green velvet interior and a sterling silver front panel”

Visible details

Gunmetal watch case with 50mm diameter
Engraved foliate monogram on the silver panel
Lot number 221 tag visible on the leather case
Glazed circular aperture in the sterling silver mount

Research qualifications

The source describes the watch as open-face while the auction title mentions half-hunter
Specific manufacturer date beyond the 1903 hallmark on the silver is not verified

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

Consulted source

Swiss Helvetia gunmetal pocket watch in English sterling silver mounted leather travel case

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 0cde022a59

Terms in this record

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