Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Cylinder pocket watch

Silver open-face cylinder pocket watch with chain and key

Partially verified

This silver open-face pocket watch features a cylinder escapement and a three-quarter plate movement construction. The object is accompanied by a long-link metal chain secured with a hook release and a brass key attached to the upper link. The watch dial is enamel and includes a subsidiary seconds dial. The exterior case is decorated with machine-engraving. The piece is part of the Auckland Museum collection, accessioned under number 1967.64 and H189, following a donation by Dr/Mr A W B Powell in 1967. The object is associated with a Birmingham hallmark dated to 1872 and bears the serial number 40025 on the case.

Silver open-face cylinder pocket watch with attached chain and winding key.
Silver open-face cylinder pocket watch with attached chain and winding key. — Auckland Museum Collections. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
commons.wikimedia.org
Category
Pocket watch · Cylinder pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Not established
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
1967.64
Source-reported date
1872
Source-reported place
Birmingham, England
Source-reported serial
40025

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 timepiece is an open-face pocket watch housed in a silver case featuring machine-engraved ornamentation on its exterior surface. The dial is constructed of enamel and displays a subsidiary dial positioned for the seconds hand. Roman numerals are used to mark the hours on the main dial surface.

Attached to the bow of the case is a long-link chain, which incorporates a hook release for security. A brass key, intended for winding the watch, is secured to the uppermost link of the chain ensemble.

Evidence for this section
  • “Silver open faced pocket watch with chain and key”
  • “enamel dial with sub dial”
  • “machine engraved case”
  • “long link chain with hook release attached to bow and brass key attached to top link of chain”

Movement and Identification

The internal mechanism is described as a three-quarter plate movement utilizing a cylinder escapement. Identification markers present on the object include the serial number 40025, which is engraved on the case.

The watch is hallmarked with a Birmingham mark dated to 1872. This information identifies the geographic origin of the hallmarks associated with the silver components of the watch.

Evidence for this section
  • “¾ plate cylinder escapement pocket watch”
  • “hallmarked "Birmingham 1872”
  • “serial # "40025" on case”

Provenance and Documentation

The watch entered the Auckland Museum collection in 1967. The acquisition is recorded as a gift from Dr/Mr A W B Powell. It is officially catalogued within the museum's human history collection under the identifiers 1967.64 and H189.

The provided source metadata links the object to a digital record maintained by the Auckland Museum, which serves as the primary documentation for the item's history and current status within the repository.

Evidence for this section
  • “Gift of Dr/Mr A W B Powell, 1967”
  • “Collection of Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, 1967.64, H189, col.1476”

Open research questions

  • Does the internal movement bear a maker's mark or signature consistent with the 1872 Birmingham hallmark?
  • Is the brass key original to the watch or a later replacement added during the object's history?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Silver open-face cylinder pocket watch with chain and key
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MaterialSilver“Silver open-face cylinder pocket watch”
Escapement typeCylinder escapement“¾ plate cylinder escapement pocket watch”
Case serial number40025“serial # "40025" on case”
HallmarkBirmingham 1872“hallmarked "Birmingham 1872”
Accession number1967.64“Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, 1967.64”
Donation historyGift of Dr/Mr A W B Powell, 1967“Gift of Dr/Mr A W B Powell, 1967”

Visible details

  • Enamel dial with Roman numerals
  • Machine-engraved pattern on the case back
  • Brass winding key suspended from the chain
  • Hook release mechanism on the watch bow

Research qualifications

  • The exact identity of the maker is not recorded in the source
  • The source lists the object in a category containing conflicting tags such as 'International Watch Company' which are not confirmed by the provided text

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

Consulted source

Silver open-face cylinder pocket watch with chain and key, Birmingham, 1872

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 8112444fe3

Terms in this record

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

Other cylinder pocket watch records