Hello Kenneth,
Thank you for sending in this most interesting pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Victorian era, key wound and key set, coin silver and red/black tortoiseshell,
Verge/ Fusee, pair case pocket watch in the English style circa 1800-1860, Unsigned, most likely made in Switzerland for the English market, circa 1870s.
DESCRIPTION:
CASE – (Size not provided) The approximated size for this appraisal is 50mm-65mm diameter outer case. This particular pocket watch consists of two separate cases (pair case). The outer case has a cover made of red and black tortoiseshell secured to what should be a silver outer case and dial bezel (looks like coin silver or gun metal in this example with no hallmarks). The tortoiseshell is secured to the outer case with silvered pique studs. The studs can be seen as a form of beading around the circumference of the dial bezel. The inner case is also made of some form of silvered metal but not of high enough grade to warrant hallmarking. The hinged movement swings out from this onion shaped bulbous inner case. The cover contains a key winding aperture and a single screw which attaches to another plate which is the inside part of the cover. This is a round headed, three dimensional modern screw located at the center of the cover. There are embossed decorations at the edge of the back cover and evidence of pique studs holding it in place in the same manner as seen on the tortoiseshell outer cover. With the movement in place there is a round headed pendant and bow placed at the twelve position and containing a push button, a type of pendant and bow seen during the last quarter of the 19th century.
DIAL – Round white enameled dial with bold English-style Roman hours, closed minute ring and fenestrated Louis XVth style hands with no signature on the dial. This was a dial made to attract buyers in England. Two winding keys are present.
MOVEMENT – This is a full plate movement, likely verge escapement (not seen) and fusee powered (seen in place), simple cylindrical brass pillars connect the two plates. The rear plate has a Swiss style round balance-bridge with foliate skeletonized design and secured in place with two flat headed blued steel screws with foot plate. (This is a design only used by the French and the Swiss watch makers) Adjacent to the balance bridge is the silver regulator to change the speed of the movement, and this is held in place by two modern round head bulbous screws (normally such screws are not seen on the regulator). The entire plate is covered by swirling foliate brass decoration leaving no room for the name, nor location of the watchmaker. This appears to be a brass-cast generic fenestrated mask placed over the back plate of the movement, as one would find in a replica pocket watch movement made to appear to be something it is not.
HISTORY OF SWISS REPLICAS:
The Swiss watchmakers during the era of circa 1865-1895 were feeling tremendous pressure and were losing market share to pocket watches being made by factory methods in America. The Swiss even sent representatives to America where they were allowed to watch the production of pocket watches in the actual factories where the use of interchangeability of parts and mass production assembly line methods were studied. This was an era when the Swiss watch fakes using false names were at their height. This was a failed attempt to keep their market share throughout the world. The vast majority of Swiss fakes and Swiss replica watches resembles designs made decades earlier in other parts of the world and these reproductions made in Switzerland were at their zenith. The Swiss watchmaking community got a bad name for doing this. Strangely, it was this black eye for Swiss watchmaking that made them come together in the first quarter of the 20th century, redo their factory methods, and within a hand full of years produce the finest watches made in the world and regain their global supremacy in both pocket and wrist watches which they maintain to this very day.
CONDITION:
CASE – Ding on the round pendant of the watch. Gilt finish on the pendant and bow is wearing off. The gun metal or coin silver cover is moderately worn from usage.
DIAL – In very good condition.
MOVEMENT – Good condition but is made to appear to be an early 19th century or late 18th century full plate English movement, but it is a cast replica covering a Swiss made movement. The movement is unsigned.
COMPARABLES:
https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/a-lot-of-nine-various-pocket-watches-and-movements-af-dlPvuYcJZ9 (A MEDLEY OF SUCH WATCHES SOLD AT Bonhams in 2014 for $739)
https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/swiss-a-silver-pocket-watch-with-decorated-tortoiseshell-outer-case-no-11930-circa-1800-HectXiwo1 (sold for $1125 in 2011)
https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/a-georgian-horn-painted-pair-cased-pocket-watchby-robert-wood-london-kTMUfWwDrw (Sold for $496 in 2012)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/26632132_a-triple-cased-open-faced-pocket-watch-a-swiss-copy-of (sold in 2014 for 300 Great British Pounds)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/44960643_early-swiss-pair-case (Sold in 2016 for $160)
https://www.barnebys.com/realized-prices/lot/a-gilt-key-wind-open-face-pocket-watch-_5f5toAvQk (Example with fake French signature sold for $170 in 2014)
HISTORY OF THE GENUINE ENGLISH TORTOISESHELL WATCH:
The master English maker of such watches with two, three and even four cases was Edward Prior of London. He primarily made watches for the Turkish and Arabian markets of the Middle East. He signed his example on the dial and the movements. The outer cases were usually hallmarked for English silver, the next case would be the tortoiseshell ornamental case and then occasionally he used a simpler, less ornate silver case next to the actual watch case. These watches were designed to be worn in the desert and to keep blowing sand out of the inner watch case. George and his brother Edward were the busiest makers of such watches. They worked in London during the 1800-1860 Period.
PRICING:
Your replication is now an antique despite being made during the Victorian era. The fair market value would range from $300-$350 with retail prices of course being higher.
I hope this has helped you to better understand your pocket watch and understand the pricing and its place in the comparable group of examples.
Thank you for selecting mearto.com for this appraisal.
My best,
David