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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Repetition pocket watch

Repetition pocket watch with outer case

Partially verified

This gold repetition pocket watch includes a separately crafted gold outer case. The watch features an enameled dial and a movement signed on the plate by Johannes Pieter Kroese of Amsterdam, dated 1753. The watch movement incorporates an openwork balance cock designed with scrolling foliage emerging from a monster's head, with a depiction of Kronos holding a scythe and an hourglass engraved at the base. The outer case is ornamented with a repoussé scene showing Christ and the Samaritan woman, surrounded by rocaille and volute scrollwork. Marks present include the Amsterdam city mark, a year letter for 1753 on the inner case, and a year letter for 1756 on the outer case, with the goldsmith's mark for Jacobus Losbergh identified on both. A Dutch tax mark from the 1814-1831 period is also present on the hinge and pendant.

Front view of the repetition pocket watch with its dial and gold casing.
Front view of the repetition pocket watch with its dial and gold casing. — Rijksmuseum. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.rijksmuseum.nl
Category
Pocket watch · Repetition pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Johannes Pieter Kroese; outer case by Jacobus Losbergh
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
BK-1956-26
Source-reported date
1753
Source-reported place
Amsterdam, Netherlands

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

Movement and Dial Construction

The watch is constructed with an enameled dial featuring Roman hour markers and Arabic five-minute intervals. The movement is signed by the Amsterdam watchmaker Johannes Pieter Kroese. A detailed feature of the movement is the balance cock, which is openworked with foliate scrolls emerging from a monster head. Further ornamentation includes an engraving of Kronos, depicted with his traditional attributes of a scythe and an hourglass.

The internal components are mounted on the main plate, which bears the maker's signature and location.

Evidence for this section
  • “uurwerk is op de platine gemerkt: J.P. Kroese, Amsterdam”
  • “De kloof is opengewerkt met ranken, voortkomend uit de bek van een monsterkop; onderaan gegraveerd : Kronos met zeis en zandloper.”

Casing and Decoration

The watch is housed in a gold inner case and a secondary repoussé gold outer case. The outer case depicts the biblical scene of Christ and the Samaritan woman, framed by rocaille and volute motifs. The physical construction includes a smooth back for the inner case.

Marks on the inner and outer cases link the goldsmith work to Jacobus Losbergh, who utilized a maker's mark consisting of the letters 'IL' within a square. The watch also displays an Amsterdam city mark and a lion mark indicating gold fineness.

Evidence for this section
  • “Gouden repetitiehorloge in gouden, gedreven buitenkast.”
  • “meesterteken, binnenzijde binnenkast, afgeslagen: IL in vierkant (Jacobus Losbergh”
  • “Op de buitenkast: Christus en de Samaritaanse vrouw, omgeven door Lodewijk XVe voluten en rocailles.”

Provenance and Marks

The object includes evidence of later maintenance or taxation through the presence of a 'V' mark, applied to the pendant and hinge between 1814 and 1831. These marks are distinct from the original manufacture dates of 1753 for the inner case and 1756 for the outer case.

The object was acquired by the museum in 1956 and is identified by the accession number BK-1956-26. Research suggests potential attributions for similar cases from the same period to the same goldsmith, Jacobus Losbergh.

Evidence for this section
  • “aankoop 1956”
  • “belastingteken, pendant, afgeslagen: ‘V’ (1814-1831)”
  • “Objectnummer BK-1956-26”

Open research questions

  • What specific repetition mechanism type is used in this 1753 movement?
  • Are there archival records linking the specific purchase of this watch by the original owner to the 1756 outer case commission?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Repetition pocket watch with outer case
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerJohannes Pieter Kroese“uurwerkmaker: Johannes Pieter Kroese, Amsterdam”
GoldsmithJacobus Losbergh“goudsmid: Jacobus Losbergh, Amsterdam”
Movement signatureJ.P. Kroese Amsterdam“uurwerk is op de platine gemerkt: J.P. Kroese, Amsterdam”
Date1753“jaarletter, binnenzijde binnenkast, afgeslagen: ‘T’ (1753)”
Outer case date1756“jaarletter, binnenzijde overkast, afgeslagen: ‘W’ (1756)”
Tax markV“belastingteken, scharnier, afgeslagen: ‘V’ (1814-1831)”
Case decorationChrist and the Samaritan woman“Op de buitenkast: Christus en de Samaritaanse vrouw, omgeven door Lodewijk XVe voluten en rocailles.”

Visible details

  • Enamelled dial with black Roman numerals and five-minute Arabic markers
  • Repoussé decoration on the outer case depicting a biblical scene
  • Openwork balance cock with monster mask and Kronos engraving
  • Pendant bow for attachment

Research qualifications

  • Exact chronological sequence of case versus movement production
  • Specific identification of the full allegorical meaning of all ornamental elements

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

Consulted source

Watch with Christ and the Samaritan Woman

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record b931ebea59

Terms in this record

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