Antique Silver Pocket Watch - Deep-Set Enamel Dial with Gold Flowers - Dutch .935 Silver - Circa 1900

By 1900 the wristwatch was still a novelty, and a small watch like this was made to be beautiful before it was useful. Its maker built the dial to reward a closer look. The white enamel face is sunk deep into the case behind a sculpted gilt frame that slopes inward to meet it, so it rests at the bottom of a small well of silver and gold, a depth you almost never see on a watch this small.

On the enamel the hours are painted in black Roman numerals, and the spaces between them are scattered with small gold flowers and gold lozenges, two slender gold hands turning above. The enamel is clean and bright and the gold work is intact.

The case is engraved over its whole surface, front and back, with dense foliate scrollwork around a small shield left blank, the monogram it was meant to hold never cut. Inside, the silver is marked 0,935 and struck with the rampant lion of the Netherlands, the Dutch first standard, held by law to a finer grade than English sterling. The same marks run through the watch down to the inner dust cover, and the case is numbered 82846.

Inside is a small keyless movement, its plates gilt and clean beneath the bridges, winding from the crown. It is running well. Service history is unknown.

Terms: Please review all photos carefully as they are a part of the listing. This is a vintage timepiece. Accuracy, power reserve, and water resistance are not guaranteed. Vintage watches may require periodic service. Performance can vary with wear, temperature, and position.

I am happy to service any unserviced watch listed on the site, please inquire about service charges when purchasing.

All sales final.