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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Open-faced pocket watch

Victor Kullberg yellow gold open-faced watch with up-and-down indication, No. 3449

Partially verified

This open-faced pocket watch is attributed to Victor Kullberg and dated circa 1876, bearing serial number 3449. The piece features a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals, blued steel hands, a constant seconds subsidiary dial at 6 o'clock, and an up-and-down 30-hour power reserve indicator situated below 12 o'clock. The source reports that the 18k yellow gold engine-turned case bears London hallmarks for 1876 and the casemaker mark JM. The movement is reported as a gilt half-plate caliber with a lever escapement, bimetallic compensation balance, and diamond endstone, signed by Victor Kullberg at 105 Liverpool Road, London.

Frontal view of the Victor Kullberg open-faced pocket watch showing the white enamel dial with up-and-down indication and subsidiary seconds.
Frontal view of the Victor Kullberg open-faced pocket watch showing the white enamel dial with up-and-down indication and subsidiary seconds. — Sotheby's. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.sothebys.com
Category
Pocket watch · Open-faced pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Victor Kullberg
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
432
Source-reported date
Circa 1876
Country
United Kingdom
Source-reported serial
3449

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

Object Identity and Origin

Catalogued under lot 432, this open-faced pocket watch is attributed to Victor Kullberg and dated circa 1876, bearing serial number 3449. The piece was offered in the sale section featuring 'Exceptional Discoveries: The Olmsted Complications Collection'.

The movement signature reported by the catalog records the maker's address as '105, Liverpool Rd. London', corresponding to the serial number 3449.

Evidence for this section
  • “Victor Kullberg A yellow gold open-faced watch with up-and-down indication, No. 3449, Circa 1876”
  • “Fine Watches featuring Exceptional Discoveries: The Olmsted Complications Collection”
  • “signed Victor Kullberg, 105, Liverpool Rd. London, No. 3449”

Dial Display and Layout

Direct observation of the front shows a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals and blued steel hands. Across the middle field, the dial is signed 'VICTOR KULLBERG LONDON 3449'.

The dial incorporates two subsidiary registers: an up-and-down power reserve indication marked from 0 to 30 positioned below 12 o'clock, and a constant seconds register positioned at 6 o'clock with Arabic numerals marked in ten-second increments.

Evidence for this section
  • “White enamel dial with black Roman numerals and blued steel hands.”
  • “Dial signed 'VICTOR KULLBERG LONDON 3449' across the center.”
  • “Dial: white enamel dial, Roman numerals, subsidiary dials for constant seconds and up-and-down 30-hour indication, signed Victor Kullberg, London 3449”
  • “Small subsidiary dial positioned below 12 o'clock displaying an up-and-down scale from 0 to 30.”

Reported Case and Movement Construction

The case is catalogued as 18k yellow gold with engine-turned decoration and a blank rondel, stamped with London hallmarks for 1876 and the casemaker's mark JM. A round bow and fluted crown are visible at the 12 o'clock position, though the reverse decoration and hallmarks are not visible in the provided frontal image.

The movement is described in the auction specifications as a gilt half-plate caliber with a lever escapement, diamond endstone, and a bimetallic compensation balance. Because the movement is not illustrated in the available photograph, these technical details are known solely from the seller's lot description.

Evidence for this section
  • “Case: 18k yellow gold engine-turned case with blank rondel, case stamped with London hallmarks for 1876, and stamped with casemaker's mark JM”
  • “Round bow and fluted crown at the 12 o'clock position on the yellow gold case.”
  • “Movement: lever escapement, diamond endstone, gilt half-plate movement, bi-metalic compensation balance, signed Victor Kullberg, 105, Liverpool Rd. London, No. 3449”

Open research questions

  • Which London casemaker corresponds to the sponsor's mark 'JM' entered at the London assay office for 1876?
  • Does the gilt half-plate movement feature Victor Kullberg's flat-rim balance or other proprietary compensation improvements?
  • What specific engine-turning pattern is executed on the reverse of the gold case?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Victor Kullberg yellow gold open-faced watch with up-and-down indication, No. 3449
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Movement detailsLever escapement, diamond endstone, gilt half-plate movement, bi-metallic compensation balance“lever escapement, diamond endstone, gilt half-plate movement, bi-metalic compensation balance”
Movement signatureVictor Kullberg, 105, Liverpool Rd. London, No. 3449“signed Victor Kullberg, 105, Liverpool Rd. London, No. 3449”
Case material and hallmarks18k yellow gold engine-turned case with London hallmarks for 1876“18k yellow gold engine-turned case with blank rondel, case stamped with London hallmarks for 1876”
Dial indicationsConstant seconds and up-and-down 30-hour indication“subsidiary dials for constant seconds and up-and-down 30-hour indication”
Casemaker markJM“and stamped with casemaker's mark JM”
Auction estimate1,000 - 1,500 USD“Estimate 1,000 - 1,500 USD”
Movement signature address105, Liverpool Rd. London“signed Victor Kullberg, 105, Liverpool Rd. London, No. 3449”

Visible details

  • White enamel dial with black Roman numerals and blued steel hands.
  • Small subsidiary dial positioned below 12 o'clock displaying an up-and-down scale from 0 to 30.
  • Round bow and fluted crown at the 12 o'clock position on the yellow gold case.
  • Subsidiary seconds register positioned at 6 o'clock with Arabic numerals at ten-second increments.
  • Dial signed 'VICTOR KULLBERG LONDON 3449' across the center.

Research qualifications

  • The movement and the case back are not pictured in the provided photograph.
  • The engine-turned pattern and blank rondel described in the catalog are not visible from the frontal dial view.

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

Consulted source

Victor Kullberg | A yellow gold open-faced watch with up-and-down

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 03a14731fc

Terms in this record

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

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