Description
Click the photographs to enlarge which are part of the visual description. Colours may differ due to any flash used.
This item is FREE standard postage to UK buyers....overseas buyers...you will only pay the TRACKED shipping ONCE if you WAIT for my combined invoice if its a similar weight and destination.
This is a really unusual pocket watch movement..I cannot find another exactly like this one to compare it with ....but of course we know its an antique Swiss made movement .. possibly the most well known for this type of movement ... Bovet ...of the Fleurier quality casing ..for the Chinese Market 1850 - 1880.
It is sold as SPARES - REPAIR only... due to the fact it has no case... the case would have probably been 18ct gold or silver or even gilt base metal with an enamel painted design on the back and inset with pearls around the dial..... if you google Chinese Duplex pocket watch ... you will see many to compare...the design of the type of watch this is from of that period.
You will see a couple of movements that have pictures upon them ... from the shaped bridges... but NON like this one.
Some of you will be able to put this back into a case and get it looking SUPERB once again.
From what I have googled this movement is probably Swiss made by... Bovet and certainly of the Fleurier quality.....or another maker as it is not signed....made from around 1850 - 1880 era...for the CHINESE MARKET...... it has a beautiful fine enamel dial which is mucky..no cracks.... I have not attempted to clean it......with very fine Roman numerals.... as well as 15 - 30 - 45 - 60 markers on the outer edge.
You will also see a single small hand blued as well as a centre seconds hand.. also blued.. the large hour hand is missing.... the centre seconds hand is very fine to match the dial.
You will also note here this is a larger movement than the average gentlemans pocket watch of this period.
It is a statement watch.
Looking at the sides of the movement first... you will see it is all steel.... with fine screws holding certain parts of the movement in place.. it has a number on here too...5075....you will also see a very fancy decorated edge top frame at the movement side as well as a hinge.... also sticking out is a small lever....at the number 45 edge ...... depress this and the hinged fancy frame springs up...this would have had glass in it originally.
So now turning it onto the dial down... be carefull with the hands.
See the outer edge of the frame which has just sprung up... it has a PEARL like design all the way around....this of course would have had glass in it so you can see the movement in the back of the watch.
So to the movement.... as you can see it is all been POLISHED STEEL when new.. it would have been really bright....... its not a gilt - gilded - enamel movement.
It has been without a case many years by the look of it.. the case was probably scrapped by someone that was desperate for a few quid !
So the movement is mucky.. you can see the dirt - dust - and staining on the polished steel surfaces.
As well as it being polished steel... you can see 3 rubies..you will see its a Duplex movement... especially for the Chinese market.... if you look carefully you can see the maker has cut the bridges into shapes.....there are 2 SNAKES - SERPENTS facing a central bridge.. this bridge is cut out in the shape of a small BOWL or URN with FIRE - SMOKE or STEAM rising from it.... which has 2 of the rubies at the top left side .....the rubies being red... indicate to me this is a depicting a FIRE or HEAT source.. the main spring housing on the right hand side and the balance cock is either a CLOUD or more STEAM - SMOKE from the fire in the pot below....with another shaped bridge to the bottom left of the balance wheel too... it is ALL a picture...it is telling a story... an ancient CHINESE PROVERB or MYTHOLOGY story similar within the back of the movement... it is very well made....despite it looking mucky - dusty now.
Also see the balance wheel ..it has the 3 blued steel weights on it.. these are the BAT WING type weights.. and these were put on to WARD OFF EVIL SPIRITS when the watch was working.
The balance staff is good.. and the balance wheel moves as it should do if it were ticking.....I have wound the watch movement.. it does tick and makes a beautiful noise.. then all of a sudden it will overtick and the centre seconds hand will be going around so fast you cannot see it...!!.... then it slows down and ticks gently..its all over the place when ticking.. fast , slow and non stop.... the regulator must not be working right... also look at the top of the spring winder part.. in the other Duplex movements there is usually something else here.. this one has just the winder stuck out.
I think to the right person with knowledge this could be put back into a case and be working again just grand in no time... it will suit a serious collector or museum alike... as I said... I cannot find another movement like this one.. with the cut out bridges of this serpent - snake and fire bowl scene.
The movement is 5.5cm dia x 1cm deep...in inches its 2 and an 1/8th inch dia x 3/8ths inch deep.
See pics.
Please see close up pictures for more detail.
The item(s) are shown next to an English 1 penny which is 20mm dia for scale.
Conversion ... approx... 2.5cm = 25mm = 1 inch
If you have any questions, please contact me via ebay messages...go to OTHER question.
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