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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Pocket watch

Watch with Hour, Minute, and Second Indicators

Partially verified

This gold pocket watch, held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, under accession number BK-15017, dates to the period circa 1815 to 1820. The object is characterized by its engine-turned case back and a silver dial designed with hour, minute, and second indicators. The watch measures 4.5 cm in diameter. Its construction employs gold as the primary material for the housing and silver for the dial face, reflecting the documented materials held by the museum. The dial configuration features a prominent aperture for the hour, a central minute track, and a secondary register for seconds. This specimen serves as an example of early 19th-century horological production preserved within an institutional setting, with the Rijksmuseum providing the primary documentation regarding its physical properties and material composition.

Watch with Hour, Minute, and Second Indicators, showcasing the silver dial with hour aperture and subsidiary seconds dial.
Watch with Hour, Minute, and Second Indicators, showcasing the silver dial with hour aperture and subsidiary seconds dial. — Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
orbiscollectibles.com
Category
Pocket watch · Pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Not established
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
BK-15017
Source-reported date
c. 1815 - c. 1820
Source-reported place
Not established

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 Design

The pocket watch features a gold case with a decorative back cover rendered in an engine-turned finish. The front of the watch presents a silver dial that integrates indicators for hours, minutes, and seconds. The design utilizes a singular window at the 12 o'clock position to display the hour, while a circular track occupies the main dial area for the display of minutes.

A subsidiary seconds register is situated in the lower half of the dial face, providing a secondary timekeeping function. The watch has a diameter of 4.5 cm.

Evidence for this section
  • “The back cover is engine-turned.”
  • “Men's watch made of gold with silver dial.”
  • “diameter 4.5 cm.”

Institutional Documentation

The object is preserved within the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is classified under the accession number BK-15017. The museum identifies the object as a men's watch, noting its primary construction materials as gold and silver. The records provided by the institution focus on the physical dimensions, material composition, and the techniques used in its assembly, such as engine turning.

The museum's documentation serves as the primary reference for this item, though it is noted that the translation of these records is the basis for the current descriptive text. As a museum-held object, it is accessible for further research into its origins and mechanical history.

Evidence for this section
  • “The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as BK-15017”
  • “Description translated from the museum's Dutch catalogue text; details are those of this museum object”
  • “Men's watch made of gold with silver dial.”

Historical Context

The watch is attributed to the period between 1815 and 1820. While the Rijksmuseum record identifies the object, further investigation is necessary to establish the maker or specific horological context of this piece.

Consequently, the object is currently presented as an individual museum specimen without a specific maker attribution.

Evidence for this section
  • “Period c. 1815 - c. 1820”
  • “Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm the wider type, maker attribution and specifications against horological references.”

Open research questions

  • Who was the original maker or retailer of this timepiece?
  • Does the movement contain specific features or complications that correlate with the external indicators visible on the dial?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Watch with Hour, Minute, and Second Indicators
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Holding InstitutionRijksmuseum, Amsterdam“The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, holds this object as BK-15017”
MaterialGold and silver“Men's watch made of gold with silver dial.”
TechniqueEngine turning“technique engine turning”
Dimensions4.5 cm diameter“diameter 4.5 cm”
Datingc. 1815 - c. 1820“c. 1815 - c. 1820”
Accession NumberBK-15017“BK-15017”

Visible details

  • Silver dial with a textured, possibly engine-turned finish
  • Single aperture at the 12 o'clock position for hour indication
  • Central blued steel hands for minutes
  • Subsidiary seconds dial positioned at the bottom of the main dial

Research qualifications

  • Maker attribution remains unverified by the provided source information
  • Technical internal specifications of the movement are not detailed in the source

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

Consulted source

Watch with Hour, Minute, and Second Indicators

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record f2712689c9

Terms in this record

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

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