Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Hunter case pocket watch

Louis Audemars 18K Gold Hunter Case Pocket Watch

Partially verified

This is an 18k gold hunter case keyless wind pocket watch by Louis Audemars, dating to circa the 1880s according to the auction house. Measuring 53mm in diameter, the timepiece features an engine-turned case with a snap-on back, a polished cuvette, and a glazed dust cap protecting the movement. The dial is white enamel with black Roman numeral hour markers, blued steel sword hands, and a subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock. The source notes that the case, dial, and jeweled manual-wind movement are all signed.

Dial and movement views of the Louis Audemars 18k gold hunter case pocket watch
Dial and movement views of the Louis Audemars 18k gold hunter case pocket watch — Bonhams. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.bonhams.com
Category
Pocket watch · Hunter case pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Louis Audemars
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
52
Source-reported date
c. 1880s
Country
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
120987

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 Architecture and Exterior Features

The pocket watch is documented by Bonhams as an 18k gold hunter case measuring 53mm in diameter. The listing notes that the case is engine turned, fitted with a polished cuvette and a glazed dust cap, and features a snap-on case back recorded with number 12987.

Visual observations record an opened hunter case revealing the dial alongside a reverse view showing the movement beneath a transparent glazed dust cap. Visible exterior fittings include a fluted winding crown, an arched bow, and a side-push or slide element positioned near 4 o'clock along the case band. The exterior surfaces of the closed covers and any outer hallmarks are not visible in the provided image.

Evidence for this section
  • “Engine turned with polished cuvette and glazed dust cap, snap on case back, No. 12987”
  • “Size: 53mm”
  • “Fitted with a fluted winding crown, an arched bow, and a side-push or slide element near 4 o'clock along the case band.”

Dial Configuration

The dial is described in the source as white enamel, featuring black Roman numerals, blued steel sword hands, and a subsidiary seconds dial positioned at 6 o'clock.

Observation of the front perspective confirms the white enamel dial layout with black Roman numeral hour markers and the subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock. The source records that the case, dial, and movement are signed, though the exact text on the dial is not transcribed in the lot details.

Evidence for this section
  • “Dial: White enamel, black Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds dial at 6, blued steel sword hands”
  • “Front perspective shows an opened hunter case revealing a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock.”
  • “Signed: Case, dial, and movement”

Movement and Mechanical Attribution

The movement is cataloged as a jeweled manual-wind mechanism bearing movement number 120987. Bonhams dates the piece to circa the 1880s under the heading 'LOUIS AUDEMARS, BRASSUS & GENEVA'.

Physical observation of the reverse perspective shows the movement bridges, regulator, and winding wheels visible beneath the transparent glazed dust cap. The auction documentation states that accompaniments are none.

Evidence for this section
  • “Movement: Jeweled manual wind, No. 120987”
  • “Date: c. 1880s”
  • “Reverse perspective shows the movement bridges, regulator, and winding wheels visible under a transparent glazed dust cap.”
  • “Accompaniments: None”

Open research questions

  • What explains the numerical variance between movement number 120987 and case back number 12987 in Louis Audemars production records?
  • What specific inscription or maker's marks are stamped on the cuvette and movement plate?
  • What function is served by the side-push or slide element observed at 4 o'clock on the case band (e.g., hand-setting or case spring release)?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Louis Audemars 18K Gold Hunter Case Pocket Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Movement Number120987“Jeweled manual wind, No. 120987”
Case Number12987“snap on case back, No. 12987”
Case Diameter53mm“Size: 53mm”
Dial DescriptionWhite enamel, black Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds dial at 6, blued steel sword hands“Dial: White enamel, black Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds dial at 6, blued steel sword hands”
SignaturesCase, dial, and movement“Signed: Case, dial, and movement”
Auction ResultUS$3,584 inc. premium“Sold for US$3,584 inc. premium”
Lot Number52“Lot 52”
Maker / Origin AttributionLouis Audemars, Brassus & Geneva“LOUIS AUDEMARS, BRASSUS & GENEVA. AN 18K GOLD HUNTER CASE KEYLESS WIND POCKET WATCH”

Visible details

  • Front perspective shows an opened hunter case revealing a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock.
  • Reverse perspective shows the movement bridges, regulator, and winding wheels visible under a transparent glazed dust cap.
  • Fitted with a fluted winding crown, an arched bow, and a side-push or slide element near 4 o'clock along the case band.

Research qualifications

  • Source reports distinct serial numbers for movement (No. 120987) and case (No. 12987).
  • Outer engraved case surfaces and hallmarks are not displayed in the provided photograph.

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

Consulted source

Bonhams : LOUIS AUDEMARS, BRASSUS & GENEVA. AN 18K GOLD HUNTER CASE KEYLESS WIND POCKET WATCHc. 1880s

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 5a956f6053

Terms in this record

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

Other hunter case pocket watch records