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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Demi-hunter pocket watch

West End Watch Co. Demi-Hunter Pocket Watch

Partially verified

This 18-carat gold demi-hunter pocket watch is signed by the West End Watch Co. and features a Swiss-made 15-jewel movement. The case is machine-engraved and displays hour markers on the outer cover around the viewing aperture, which reveals an enamel dial with a subsidiary seconds dial and blue steel hands. The dial carries the signature 'West End Watch Co. / Competition / Bombay, Calcutta / Swiss Made'. The metal dust cover (dome) inside the watch bears an engraved inscription, reading: 'Presented to A.Monro by his friends and brother workmen at Bilaspur'. The gold case is marked as 18K. The watch is stem-wound and stem-set. It is currently held in the Applied Arts and Design collection of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, having been donated by Dorothy Munro.

Front view of the gold 18k demi-hunter pocket watch with its distinctive outer chapter ring.
Front view of the gold 18k demi-hunter pocket watch with its distinctive outer chapter ring. — Auckland Museum Collections. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
commons.wikimedia.org
Category
Pocket watch · Demi-hunter pocket watch
Maker / attribution
West End Watch Co.
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
1986.252
Source-reported date
Not established
Source-reported place
Switzerland

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 features a gold demi-hunter case, characterized by an outer cover with a central aperture. The exterior surface of this cover is finished with a fine, machine-engraved texture, surrounding the circular viewing window. This window is framed by black-painted Roman numeral hour chapters, allowing the user to read the hour without opening the case.

Behind the aperture lies an enamel dial, partially visible, which includes a subsidiary seconds dial and blued steel hands. The dial is signed for the West End Watch Co., specifically noting their reach into the Indian market with 'Bombay, Calcutta' printed alongside the retailer's name and 'Swiss Made' status.

Evidence for this section
  • “machine engraved case with chapters on outside of case around opening”
  • “enamel dial with second sub-dial, blue hands”

Movement and Construction

The movement is a 15-jewel Swiss mechanism, designed for stem winding and hand setting. The watch is constructed as a demi-hunter, which requires opening the hinged front cover to access the full dial and the secondary function of the time-setting crown.

Internal protection for the movement is provided by a metal dome or cuvette, which sits between the movement and the back cover of the watch. This component serves as a substrate for the dedication engraving provided by the donor.

Evidence for this section
  • “keyless 15 jewel Swiss movement”
  • “stem wound and set”
  • “metal dome”

Provenance and Marks

The watch carries a personal dedication engraved on the interior metal dome: 'Presented to A.Monro by his friends and brother workmen at Bilaspur'. The case is hallmarked 18K.

The object is part of the Auckland War Memorial Museum's Applied Arts and Design collection. It was acquired as a gift from Dorothy Munro in 1986, under the accession number 1986.252.

Evidence for this section
  • “dome engraved: Presented to A.Monro by his friends and brother workmen at Bilaspur”
  • “hallmarked 18K”
  • “Gift of Dorothy Munro, Collection of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, 1986.252”

Open research questions

  • What is the approximate production date based on the serial number or stylistic features?
  • Is there further information regarding the 'Bilaspur' site of the work mentioned in the inscription?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for West End Watch Co. Demi-Hunter Pocket Watch
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerWest End Watch Co.“West End Watch Co.”
Movement15-jewel Swiss“15-jewel Swiss movement”
Material18-carat gold“18-carat gold”
Case typeDemi-hunter“demi hunter case”
Dial inscriptionWest End Watch Co. Competition Bombay, Calcutta“West End Watch Co/ Competition/ Bombay, Calcutta/ Swiss Made”
Case inscriptionPresented to A.Monro by his friends and brother workmen at Bilaspur“Presented to A.Monro by his friends and brother workmen at Bilaspur”
Accession number1986.252“1986.252”
Winding mechanismStem wound and set“stem wound and set”

Visible details

  • Machine-engraved exterior case pattern
  • Blue hands on enamel dial
  • Demi-hunter style with aperture showing partial dial
  • Subsidiary seconds dial visible

Research qualifications

  • The exact date of manufacture is not stated in the source
  • The specific 15-jewel movement caliber is not identified

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

Consulted source

18-carat gold demi-hunter pocket watch with 15-jewel Swiss movement

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 612b89fb2e

Terms in this record

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

Other demi-hunter pocket watch records