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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · La Chaux-de-Fonds

Watch with folding photograph holder

Verified

The hunter case has a silver band and three hinged gold covers on each side which can hold ten photographs.

Technical facts

Inventory number
MIH I-431
Object type
Pocket watch
Place of production
La Chaux-de-Fonds
Dating
c. 1890
Materials and techniques (catalogue wording)
or, argent, émail, laiton
Dimensions (catalogue)
Dimensions: 75.3 x 53.5 x 17.3 mm; dimensions d'exposition: 7.5 x 19.0 x 15.0 cm; poids: 155.000 g
Inscriptions (catalogue)
N° 28'875 (Mouvement); Ours (Pendant); B Co (Pendant)

Historical significance

  • The hunter case has a silver band and three hinged gold covers on each side which can hold ten photographs.
  • The white enamel dial has black enamelled Arabic numerals, a small sunk seconds dial, and blued steel spade-shaped hour and minute hands.
  • The high quality movement has a lever escapement, a bimetallic compensation balance with gold screws, a Breguet overcoil, the ratchet and crown wheel feature the so-called “wolf’s tooth” gearing.
  • Attributed to Clémence Brothers, which was founded in 1860 in La Chaux-de-Fonds, this watch was presented at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889, along with a variety of other novelty watches.

Photographs

Watch with folding photograph holder (MIH I-431)
Watch with folding photograph holder (MIH I-431) — Musée international d'horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Museum collection photograph, rights review pending. MIH collection record
Watch with folding photograph holder (MIH I-431)
Watch with folding photograph holder (MIH I-431) — Musée international d'horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Museum collection photograph, rights review pending. MIH collection record
Watch with folding photograph holder (MIH I-431)
Watch with folding photograph holder (MIH I-431) — Musée international d'horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Museum collection photograph, rights review pending. MIH collection record

Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.

Sources & references

  1. Musée international d'horlogerie, online collection record, inv. I-431: https://collection.mih.ch/fr/collection/item/38823/

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.