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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Calendar pocket watch

Watch with calendar by Bordier Frères

Partially verified

This calendar pocket watch, held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession 89.2.83), is attributed to the Genevan firm Bordier Frères and dated to approximately 1780–90. The timepiece features a case constructed from varicolored gold, which is decorated with enamelwork. Internally, the movement is composed of brass and steel components, with a visible bridge arrangement. The white enamel dial displays standard hour markings alongside an auxiliary scale for the calendar function. The watch was acquired by the museum as part of a gift from Joseph W. Drexel in 1889.

Watch with calendar by Bordier, Geneva, ca. 1780–90. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession 89.2.83.
Watch with calendar by Bordier, Geneva, ca. 1780–90. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession 89.2.83. — The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
orbiscollectibles.com
Category
Pocket watch · Calendar pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Bordier Frères
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
89.2.83
Source-reported date
ca. 1780–90
Source-reported place
Switzerland, Geneva
Source-reported serial
30483

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

The watch is housed in a circular case crafted from varicolored gold and decorated with enamel.

The watch face consists of a white enamel dial featuring Roman numerals for timekeeping. A secondary perimeter track provides a calendar display, marked with red numerals indicating the days of the month. The movement is visible through the opened dial, which is signed 'Bordier A GENEVE' beneath the central hand arbor.

Evidence for this section
  • “Case: varicolored gold, partly enameled”
  • “Dial: white enamel”

Movement and Construction

The movement is constructed with brass plates and steel components, consistent with standard horological practices of the period in Geneva. The movement is visible in the provided imagery, specifically the balance bridge which is decorated with intricate, symmetrical openwork scrollwork. The structure is fixed within the gold case, with a winding square visible on the dial side.

The mechanical layout incorporates a bridge-style balance assembly and a regulator index to control the movement's rate.

Evidence for this section
  • “Movement: brass and steel”

Provenance and Documentation

The object is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, assigned the accession number 89.2.83. It entered the museum holdings in 1889 as part of the gift provided by Joseph W. Drexel. The record identifies the maker as the firm of Bordier Frères, though the source documentation notes that this firm was recorded as active between 1815 and 1830, which diverges from the provided date range of 1780–90.

The museum classifies this object within the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. The documentation is provided via the museum's online collection portal, which specifies the materials, dimensions, and manufacturing origin of the watch.

Evidence for this section
  • “The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this object as 89.2.83”
  • “Gift of Joseph W. Drexel, 1889”
  • “Firm of Bordier Frères (recorded 1815–30)”

Open research questions

  • How does the 1815–1830 active date range of the Bordier Frères firm reconcile with the ca. 1780–90 manufacturing date?
  • What is the specific calendar complication mechanism utilized in this watch configuration?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Watch with calendar by Bordier Frères
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerFirm of Bordier Frères“Watchmaker: Firm of Bordier Frères (recorded 1815–30)”
Dateca. 1780–90“ca. 1780–90”
MaterialsVaricolored gold, enamel, brass, steel“Case: varicolored gold, partly enameled; Dial: white enamel; Movement: brass and steel.”
Case Diameter1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)“Diameter (case): 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)”
Museum Number89.2.83“89.2.83”
ProvenanceGift of Joseph W. Drexel, 1889“Gift of Joseph W. Drexel, 1889”

Visible details

  • Movement plate signed 'Bordier a Geneve' in cursive script
  • Dial includes red-colored numerals for the calendar display

Research qualifications

  • The firm of Bordier Frères is recorded as active 1815–30, creating a potential discrepancy with the circa 1780–90 dating
  • The specific functional mechanism of the calendar integration remains unverified by provided text

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

Consulted source

Watch with calendar

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record c3c3763c80

Terms in this record

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

Other calendar pocket watch records