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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Half hunter pocket watch

Rotherams, London half hunter pocket watch

Partially verified

This half hunter pocket watch, produced by Rotherham & Sons, London, features a silver case hallmarked in Birmingham in 1888. The watch has a case width of 50.7mm and includes a winding key. The exterior of the case originally displayed an engine-turned design that has largely worn away. The white enamel dial is signed by the maker and features Roman numeral hour markers with a subsidiary seconds dial at the six o'clock position. The timepiece operates using a key-wound, full-plate going barrel movement that incorporates an English lever escapement. The movement is numbered. The timepiece is currently documented through an auction archive listing, which specifies the hallmark details and technical configuration of the movement, while noting that the case surface shows significant wear from its historical use.

The Rotherams, London half hunter pocket watch with case open, showing the white enamel dial and Roman numerals.
The Rotherams, London half hunter pocket watch with case open, showing the white enamel dial and Roman numerals. — Kinghams Auctioneers, via Invaluable. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
orbiscollectibles.com
Category
Pocket watch · Half hunter pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Rotherham & Sons
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
1888
Source-reported place
United Kingdom

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 watch is housed in a silver case configured as a half hunter, which provides a protective cover for the dial. The exterior surface of the case was finished with an engine-turned pattern, although the auction source notes that this decorative detail has been largely removed through past usage. The case measures 50.7mm in width and bears hallmarks from Birmingham dating to 1888.

The dial is composed of white enamel and features black Roman numerals for the hour markers. A subsidiary seconds dial is located at the bottom of the dial face at the six o'clock position. The signature of the maker, Rotherham & Sons, is present on the dial, and the watch is supplied with a winding key for operation.

Evidence for this section
  • “silver case hallmarked in Birmingham in 1888”
  • “exterior of the case originally featured an engine-turned design, which has since been largely rubbed off”
  • “white enamel dial is signed by the maker and displays Roman numeral hour markers, with a subsidiary seconds dial positioned at the six o'clock mark”

Movement and Escapement

The interior of the watch contains a full-plate going barrel movement. This mechanism is key-wound, requiring the accompanying key to be used for tensioning the mainspring. The movement construction is noted to be signed, although the specific placement of the signature is not detailed beyond the dial signing.

The technical assembly includes an English lever escapement, which was a standard arrangement for late 19th-century English pocket watches. The movement is documented as being numbered, although the specific numerical value was not recorded in the provided source.

Evidence for this section
  • “powered by a signed, key-wound, full-plate going barrel movement that incorporates an English lever escapement”
  • “The movement is numbered”

Condition and Attribution

The object is attributed to the London-based manufacturer Rotherham & Sons, consistent with the sponsor's mark found on the silver case. The physical condition of the watch displays signs of wear that are consistent with a long period of utilitarian use. Specifically, the degradation of the engine-turned pattern on the case is cited as evidence of its history.

The auction description serves as the primary source for these details. The documentation provided confirms the hallmarking information and the internal mechanical configuration, while the provided photograph validates the visual configuration of the half hunter cover and dial layout.

Evidence for this section
  • “The piece exhibits signs of age and wear consistent with its utilitarian history”
  • “bearing the Rotherham & Sons sponsor's mark”

Open research questions

  • What is the specific movement number of this watch?
  • Has the dial ever been restored or refinished?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Rotherams, London half hunter pocket watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerRotherham & Sons“bearing the Rotherham & Sons sponsor's mark”
MaterialSilver“silver case”
Hallmark locationBirmingham“hallmarked in Birmingham in 1888”
Width50.7mm“width of 50.7mm”
MovementKey-wound, full-plate going barrel“key-wound, full-plate going barrel movement”
EscapementEnglish lever“incorporates an English lever escapement”
Date1888“hallmarked in Birmingham in 1888”

Visible details

  • White enamel dial with Roman numerals
  • Subsidiary seconds dial at six o'clock
  • Half hunter case design
  • Signed maker's mark on dial

Research qualifications

  • Extent of wear to engine-turned case decoration
  • Full verification of movement number

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

Consulted source

Rotherams, London, silver half hunter pocket watch, 1888

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 0f04bb3ddf

Terms in this record

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

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