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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Quarter repeating jump hour pocket watch

Swiss gold and enamel quarter repeating jump hour watch made for the Ottoman Market, no. 28283

Partially verified

This Swiss gold and enamel pocket watch, dated circa 1840 and numbered 28283, was made for the Ottoman Market. It incorporates an aperture positioned above the dial displaying hours with Turkish numerals alongside a quarter-repeating mechanism. The engine-turned silver dial features stylised palm-leaf motifs, a central blued steel minute hand, and subsidiary seconds. The 50 mm gold case displays black and white champlevé enamel with scrolling gold foliage on the bezel, pendant, and bow. Sotheby's reports the movement features a ruby cylinder escapement, parachute suspension, and quarter-turn piston repeat with two polished steel hammers.

Front view of the Swiss gold and enamel jump hour pocket watch made for the Ottoman market
Front view of the Swiss gold and enamel jump hour pocket watch made for the Ottoman market — Sotheby's. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.sothebys.com
Category
Pocket watch · Quarter repeating jump hour pocket watch
Maker / attribution
JB
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
1360
Source-reported date
Circa 1840
Country
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
28283

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

Dial Configuration and Display

The watch features an engine-turned silver dial designed for the Ottoman market. An aperture positioned above displays jumping hours in Turkish numerals, while a single central blued steel minute hand with an open circle counterpoise traverses the dial.

The dial includes stylised palm-leaf motifs and a subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock. Sotheby's notes that additional decorative engine-turning extends to the dial edge concealed beneath the bezel.

Evidence for this section
  • “Aperture positioned at 12 o'clock displaying an hour numeral in Turkish script”
  • “Single central blued steel hand with open circle counterpoise”
  • “stylised palm-leaf hour indexes, subsidiary seconds, blued steel central minute hand, aperture above for hours with Turkish numerals, further decorative engine-turning to dial edge concealed by bezel”

Case Construction and Enamelling

The 50 mm gold case features black and white champlevé enamel with scrolling gold floral motifs visible on the bezel, pendant, and bow.

According to the auction catalogue, the reverse features a central scallop-shaped cartouche painted en grisaille depicting roses and a trophy of love, framed en suite by enamel foliage. The interior of the case back is numbered 28283 and bears the maker's mark 'JB' within a lozenge-shaped cartouche.

Evidence for this section
  • “Bezel, pendant, and bow decorated with black and white champlevé enamel and scrolling gold floral motifs”
  • “the back with central scallop-shaped cartouche painted en grisaille with roses and trophy of love, surround of black and white champlevé enamel and scrolling gold foliage, the bezel, pendant and bow decorated en suite”
  • “inside case back numbered 28283 and maker's mark JB within lozenge-shaped cartouche”

Reported Movement and Repeating Mechanism

The movement is not visible in the primary photograph, but Sotheby's reports an unsigned, frosted gilded movement equipped with a ruby cylinder escapement, flat three-arm balance, blued steel regulation, and parachute suspension. The catalogue notes that these features reflect the influence of Breguet.

The repeating mechanism operates via a quarter-turn piston with two polished steel hammers repeating on coiled steel gongs. A polished gold cuvette, also numbered 28283, includes apertures for winding and hand-setting and is engraved with movement details.

Evidence for this section
  • “frosted gilded, ruby cylinder escapement, flat three-arm balance, blued steel regulation, parachute suspension”
  • “two polished steel hammers repeating on coiled steel gongs”
  • “quarter-turn piston repeat”
  • “polished gold cuvette engraved with movement details and with aperture for winding and hand-setting, cuvette numbered 28283”

Open research questions

  • Which Swiss maker or workshop corresponds to the 'JB' lozenge hallmark recorded inside the case back?
  • What specific text and technical inscriptions are engraved on the polished gold cuvette?
  • Does the jump-hour disc advance instantaneously or via a semi-jumping mechanism upon the completion of each hour?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Swiss gold and enamel quarter repeating jump hour watch made for the Ottoman Market, no. 28283
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
EscapementRuby cylinder escapement“ruby cylinder escapement”
Case diameter50 mm“diameter 50mm”
Target marketOttoman Market“made for the Ottoman Market”
Dial apertureAperture above for hours with Turkish numerals“aperture above for hours with Turkish numerals”
Repeating mechanismQuarter-turn piston repeat on coiled steel gongs“two polished steel hammers repeating on coiled steel gongs”
LiteratureR. Chadwick, A Voyage Through Time, London: Unicorn, 2020, pp. 148-149“R. Chadwick, A Voyage Through Time, London: Unicorn, 2020, pp. 148-149.”
Case back decorationCentral scallop-shaped cartouche painted en grisaille with roses and trophy of love“central scallop-shaped cartouche painted en grisaille with roses and trophy of love”
Cuvette serial number28283“cuvette numbered 28283”

Visible details

  • Aperture positioned at 12 o'clock displaying an hour numeral in Turkish script
  • Silver engine-turned dial with fan and palm-leaf guilloché patterns and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock
  • Single central blued steel hand with open circle counterpoise
  • Bezel, pendant, and bow decorated with black and white champlevé enamel and scrolling gold floral motifs

Research qualifications

  • Movement, internal cuvette, and the en grisaille painted case back are not visible in the front-facing photograph
  • The movement is unsigned; maker attribution 'JB' derives from an internal lozenge cartouche reported by the auction house

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

Consulted source

Swiss | A gold and enamel quarter repeating jump hour watch made for

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record b65dfad289

Terms in this record

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