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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Open-face pocket watch

Hippolyte Parrenin silver niello open-face pocket watch

Partially verified

This open-face pocket watch dates to circa 1900–1920. According to the seller, the gilt brass movement is signed HP for French maker Hippolyte Parrenin of Villers-le-Lac and features a lever escapement. The solid silver case, numbered 35503, carries Huguenin frères marks and French swan import hallmarks alongside niello vertical line decoration. The white enamel dial is inscribed 'CHRONOMÈTRE' beneath a radiant sun motif containing interlaced letters. It displays black Arabic numerals for 12 hours, red Arabic numerals for 24 hours, an outer railway minute track, blued Breguet hands, and a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock.

Dial and bezel view of the silver and niello pocket watch showing Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds
Dial and bezel view of the silver and niello pocket watch showing Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds — Pineaud gil / Proantic. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.proantic.com
Category
Pocket watch · Open-face pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Hippolyte Parrenin
Reference
1609444
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
circa 1900–1920
Source-reported place
France
Source-reported serial
35503

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 Construction and Hallmarking

The pocket watch is housed in a solid silver case with niello decoration featuring vertical lines and a coat of arms. The case number 35503 is engraved on the dust cover. The watch was produced by the Huguenin frères manufacture of Le Locle, identified by the 'HF' maker's mark in an oval on the dust cover.

The case features French swan import hallmarks, indicating a silver purity of 800/1000, which were in use for imported cases from 1893 to 1970. Markings are located on the dust cover, case border, and pendant head, with the letter 'P' associated with the Pontarlier office of guarantees.

Evidence for this section
  • “Pocket watch case in solid nielloed silver, number 35503 present on the dust cover engraved in hollow.”
  • “Hallmark on the watch case manufacturer's dust cover with the letters HF in an oval for the Huguenin frères manufacture.”
  • “French hallmark of title and swan import 800/1000 expressed in thousandths for watch cases coming from abroad in use in France from 1893 to 1970”
  • “letter P engraved in hollow located inside the swan hallmark of the office of guarantees of control of precious metals of Pontarlier”

Dial and Aesthetic Features

The white enamel dial features a sun motif containing the interlaced monogram 'BL'. The dial includes black Arabic hour numerals, a black railway minute track, and red 24-hour markers. The hands are blued steel Breguet-style for hours and minutes, with a burnished steel second hand on the subsidiary dial at 6 o'clock.

The dial bears the inscription 'CHRONOMÈTRE'.

Evidence for this section
  • “White enamel dial, marked in full chronometer with a sun and the letters BL interlaced inside the sun painted in black”
  • “Arabic numerals for the 24 hours painted in red and black for the hours, railway graduation in black for the hours and minutes.”
  • “Blued steel Bréguet hands for the hours and minutes.”
  • “second hand in burnished steel.”

Mechanical Configuration

The watch is powered by a gilt brass movement signed 'HP', corresponding to the French watchmaker Hippolyte Parrenin. The mechanism includes an anchor escapement and jeweled pivots, with steel components including the screws, crown wheel, ratchet, ratchet pawl, and the advance and retard index.

The watch is wound and set via the pendant crown, which features a five-pointed star in the center.

Evidence for this section
  • “Movement signed in hollow HP for Hippolyte Parrenin (1851-1915)”
  • “Gilt brass movement set with rubies with anchor escapement, screws, crown wheel, ratchet, ratchet pawl, advance and retard index in polished steel”
  • “Winding crown with a five-pointed star in relief in the center”

Open research questions

  • Does the 'BL' monogram represent a specific commission or retailer?
  • Can the serial number 35503 be definitively correlated to a specific production year within the 1900–1920 period?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Hippolyte Parrenin silver niello open-face pocket watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Movement MakerHippolyte Parrenin“Movement signed in hollow HP for Hippolyte Parrenin (1851-1915) French watchmaker and manufacturer of pocket watch movements.”
Case MakerHuguenin frères“Hallmark on the watch case manufacturer's dust cover with the letters HF in an oval for the Huguenin frères manufacture.”
Case Number35503“Pocket watch case in solid nielloed silver, number 35503 present on the dust cover engraved in hollow.”
EscapementAnchor escapement“Gilt brass movement set with rubies with anchor escapement”
MaterialSolid silver with niello decoration“Pocket watch or pocket watch in solid silver with niello decoration of vertical straight lines and a coat of arms.”
Gross Weight64 grams“Gross weight: 64 gr.”
Dimensions4.6 cm diameter, 6.4 cm height with bail“Diameter: 4,6 cm. Height: avec la bélière: 6,4 cm.”

Visible details

  • White enamel dial with black Arabic hour numerals, red inner/outer 24-hour markers, and an outer railway minute track
  • Dial inscribed 'CHRONOMÈTRE' arched over a radiating sun emblem enclosing interlaced letters
  • Blued steel Breguet-style hands with a small subsidiary seconds subdial at 6 o'clock
  • Front bezel decorated with alternating radial silver and niello stripes
  • Bow and fluted winding crown situated at the 12 o'clock pendant position

Research qualifications

  • Movement signature, calibre details, and rear case crest are source-reported and not visible in the supplied front photograph.
  • The dial inscription 'CHRONOMÈTRE' is a period marketing designation rather than certified chronometer performance.

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

Consulted source

Proantic: Pocket Watch Or Pocket Watch In Solid Silver With Niello Dec

Reviewed 2026-10-25 · Record 5063d29e16

Terms in this record

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

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