Hello Freya,
Thank you for sending in your family pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall do my best to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Lady’s solid gold, key wound and key set, savonette, hunting case pocket watch with gold link watch chain with gold ball fob, cuvette signed ‘Etin Charpier, Chaux de Fonds’, made in Switzerland circa 1880s. . .
PROVENANCE:
A gold Chaux de Fonds, Swiss pocket watch with chain owned by Lillie Morgan circa 1882 and bought from Wales in the U.K. to Niagara Falls, Canada in the late 1800s and given as a gift from an aunt to her niece in 1995.
DESCRIPTION:
CASE – Size not provided, but likely a jewel size (small). This is a solid gold (hallmarks are blurred so I cannot tell the quality of the gold), four leaf, hunting case pendant/pocket watch with a round gold ball pendant with push button and round bow placed at the three position (savonette) opposite the case hinge. The outer cover is engraved with foliate designs and a central cameo for the owner’s initials, very much in the Art Nouveau style of c. 1880-1910. The bow attaches to an interlocking gold link watch chain with T-bar and both a gold ball and key watch fobs. (A separate ringlet gold necklace is present for when the watch is used as a pendant and is not included in this appraisal.) The gold ball pendant and the inside of the cover have gold hallmarks, most likely Swiss, but illegible. The cuvette is engraved, No. 6219,
‘Etin (? Etienne) Charpier, Chaux de Fonds’. There is no listing of such a watchmaker working in Switzerland by that name listed in Katherine Pritchard’s text, “Swiss Timepiece Makers, 1775-1975”, the bible for names of Swiss watch makers. (However, since there were watchmakers on every corner of most Swiss towns in the late 19th century this one may have not lasted long.) . . .
DIAL – White enameled dial with very fine Roman hours, bar minute ring, sunken subsidiary seconds @6, black and gold fenestrated Cathedral hands and the dial is unsigned. . .
MOVEMENT: Not shown, but key wound and key set Swiss made movement, most likely a finger bridge brass movement with bimetallic balance wheel Breguet hairspring and Swiss style index regulator and a moderate number of jewels (15-18). . .
CONDITION – Case – Very fine condition and well cared for. Assumed to be solid 18 or 14k gold. The watch chain and ball and T-bar are also assumed to be solid gold. I have included the gold watch chain in this appraisal along with its attachments. Dial – Superb with no hairline fractures and finely executed. Movement – not seen, but assume Swiss and original to this case.
PRICING - Comparing your pocket/pendant watch with other Swiss savonette example sold at auction I feel the fair market value would range between $750 and $850 in today’s market place. (The watch by itself has a fair market value of $500-$600.) Since the name on the cuvette is not a known watchmaker or at least not listed, the watch is considered unsigned for purposes of pricing. I hope this gives you some better understanding of your timepiece. . .
My Best,
David