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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Repeating pocket watch

Pocket watch with white enamelled dial

Partially verified

This gold repeating pocket watch, held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (accession number BK-14599), dates to approximately 1850. The piece is constructed with a gold case featuring an engine-turned back cover, detailed with a central oval motif. The watch includes a white enamelled dial with black Arabic numerals and a subsidiary seconds dial. Time is indicated by simple steel hour, minute, and seconds hands. The movement itself remains unmarked, though the interior of the back cover bears the engraved inscription "van der Blom No. 338" alongside the watch number 2709. With a diameter of 5.4 cm and a depth of 1.5 cm, the timepiece is classified within the museum's collection as a men's repeating watch. The technical specifications and physical dimensions are formally documented by the Rijksmuseum as part of their permanent horological inventory.

Front view of the gold pocket watch (BK-14599) showing the white enamelled dial, Arabic numerals, and the pendant.
Front view of the gold pocket watch (BK-14599) showing the white enamelled dial, Arabic numerals, and the pendant. — Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
orbiscollectibles.com
Category
Pocket watch · Repeating pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Not established
Reference
BK-14599
Catalogue / lot identifier
BK-14599
Source-reported date
c. 1850
Source-reported place
Not established
Source-reported serial
2709

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 Construction

The pocket watch features a gold case with exterior decorative finishing. The back cover is executed with engine-turned patterns, except for a plain oval reserve located in the center. The bezel supports a white enamelled dial featuring black Arabic numerals to mark the primary hours. A secondary, smaller dial for subsidiary seconds is positioned at the base of the main dial.

The time is indicated by a set of simple steel hands, which serve the hour, minute, and seconds functions.

Evidence for this section
  • “Men's repeating watch in gold. The back cover is engine-turned, with the exception of an oval.”
  • “The white enamelled dial with Arabic numerals is fitted with simple steel hour, minute and seconds hands.”

Movement and Inscriptions

The internal mechanism of the watch is currently documented as being unmarked by any manufacturer. However, the interior of the back cover contains specific inscriptions that assist in identifying the piece. These include the watch number 2709, which provides a point of reference for the specific specimen within its production series.

Additional information is provided by a manual inscription found on the back cover, which reads 'van der Blom No. 338'. This marking remains as a primary piece of evidence regarding the object's history or potential retail attribution, although the role of the individual or firm named has not been elaborated upon in existing documentation.

Evidence for this section
  • “The movement is unmarked.”
  • “Scratched on the back cover: van der Blom No. 338. Watch number 2709.”

Dimensions and Institutional Records

The watch is measured at 5.4 cm in diameter and 1.5 cm in depth, with a total height of 7.6 cm. It is officially catalogued and held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam under the object number BK-14599. The museum classifies the item as both a pocket watch and a piece of jewellery.

These dimensions and the institutional history are established through the museum's own record-keeping practices. The information provided relies upon the translation of the museum's Dutch catalogue text regarding the object's materiality and technical specifications.

Evidence for this section
  • “The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as BK-14599”
  • “diameter 5.4 cm x height 7.6 cm x width 5.4 cm x depth 1.5 cm”

Open research questions

  • What is the specific nature of the relationship between 'van der Blom' and the production or retail of watch number 2709?
  • Can the movement architecture of BK-14599 be attributed to a specific manufacturing center based on its repeating mechanism design?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Pocket watch with white enamelled dial
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Materialgold (metal)“gold (metal)”
Object numberBK-14599“BK-14599”
Datec. 1850“c. 1850”
Watch number2709“Watch number 2709”
Movement statusunmarked“The movement is unmarked.”
Case inscriptionvan der Blom No. 338“Scratched on the back cover: van der Blom No. 338.”

Visible details

  • White enamelled dial with Arabic numerals
  • Subsidiary seconds dial at the six o'clock position
  • Engine-turned back cover with a central oval panel
  • Pendant and bow assembly at the top of the case

Research qualifications

  • The maker of the movement remains unknown due to the lack of internal signatures.
  • The function of the 'van der Blom' inscription, whether retail or repair, is not specified.

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

Consulted source

Pocket watch with white enamelled dial, c. 1850 (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, BK-14599)

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 346e08c24f

Terms in this record

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

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