Pocket watch · Dress pocket watch

Wempe 14K Gold Dress Pocket Watch

Partially verified

This open-face dress pocket watch is signed by Wempe and dated by the auction house to the 1920s. The yellow-gold case measures approximately 49 mm in diameter, weighs approximately 64 grams, and is described by the cataloguer as 14-karat gold with a triple-reeded profile. Its silvered Art Deco dial features a vertically striped central sector, gilt Art Deco numerals, an outer 13–24 hour chapter, ornate openwork gilt hands, and a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o'clock. The auction house reports that it contains a flat precision movement fitted with a fine adjusting device, and that it was accompanied by a signed original box.

Dial view of the Wempe 14K gold open-face dress pocket watch — Cortrie Spezial Auktionen. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source: www.invaluable.com
Category: Pocket watch · Dress pocket watch
Maker / attribution: Wempe
Reference: Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier: 4011
Source-reported date: 1920s
Country: Germany

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 and Visual Design

Visible observation of the watch shows a silvered dial with an Art Deco aesthetic, featuring a vertically striped or engine-turned pattern across its central medallion. The dial displays stylized gilt Art Deco Arabic hour numerals, paired with an outer 13–24 secondary hour track and minute dot markers. It is signed 'WEMPE' beneath a winged emblem below the 12 o'clock position, and includes a subsidiary seconds register positioned above 6 o'clock.

The cataloguer describes the hands as 'gilt Art Deco hands'. Framing the dial is a fluted or reeded bezel rim, and a shaped pendant bow is visible at the top of the case.

Evidence for this section

“Stylized gilt Art Deco Arabic hour numerals with an outer 13–24 secondary hour track and minute dot markers.”
“Engine-turned or vertically striped texturing across the central medallion of the silvered dial.”
“gilt Art Deco hands”

Case Construction and Physical Dimensions

According to the auction house listing, the watch features an 'elegant case, triple reeded' constructed from 14 K gold, measuring approximately 49 mm in diameter and weighing approximately 64 grams. Visual inspection of the front shows a reeded or fluted bezel profile consistent with this description.

The auction title dates the piece to 'from the 20s'. However, no internal assay marks, casemaker stamps, or case back engravings are visible in the provided photograph, and none are recorded in the listing text.

Evidence for this section

“Ca. Ø 49 mm, ca. 64 g, 14 K gold, elegant case, triple reeded”
“from the 20s”

Reported Movement and Accessories

The auction catalog reports that the watch contains a 'flat precision movement with fine adjusting device', which was noted by the seller as 'in very good condition and in working order.' Because no movement photography is available, the internal caliber, maker, jewel count, and mechanical condition cannot be independently verified from the record.

The listing also notes the inclusion of a 'signed original box'. This accessory is not depicted in the auction photograph, leaving its specific maker markings, materials, and physical state unverified.

Evidence for this section

“flat precision movement with fine adjusting device”
“in very good condition and in working order.”
“signed original box”

Open research questions

What manufacturer caliber or ebauche is used for the internal precision movement?
What specific hallmarks, gold purity stamps, or serial numbers are present inside the case back?
What markings, text, or construction details appear on the reported signed original box?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Wempe 14K Gold Dress Pocket Watch
Field	Source-reported value	Source quotation
Case Diameter	Ca. Ø 49 mm	“Ca. Ø 49 mm”
Total Weight	ca. 64 g	“ca. 64 g”
Case Material	14 K gold	“14 K gold”
Movement Description	flat precision movement with fine adjusting device	“flat precision movement with fine adjusting device”
Dial Description	very beautiful Art Deco dial with stripe decoration, silvered, signed	“very beautiful Art Deco dial with stripe decoration, silvered, signed”
Hands Style	gilt Art Deco hands	“gilt Art Deco hands”
Case Profile	triple reeded	“triple reeded”
Accompaniment	signed original box	“signed original box”

Visible details

Open-face pocket watch dial signed 'WEMPE' beneath a winged emblem below 12 o'clock.
Stylized gilt Art Deco Arabic hour numerals with an outer 13–24 secondary hour track and minute dot markers.
Engine-turned or vertically striped texturing across the central medallion of the silvered dial.
Subsidiary seconds register positioned above 6 o'clock with a circular chapter ring.
Fluted or reeded bezel rim surrounding the crystal, paired with a shaped pendant bow at 12 o'clock.

Research qualifications

Internal movement is not visible in the provided image; movement details rely entirely on auction house claims.
The signed original box reported by the auction house is not shown in the lot photograph.

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

Consulted source

Sold at Auction: Pocket watch: elegant dress watch by Wempe, original box, from the 20s (NO LIVE FEE)

Reviewed 2026-10-21 · Record 6e7ad10b6e

Terms in this record

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