These small ladies watches fitted with movements of 12 ligne (26.5mm as you
see here below) are to me marvels of Probus Scafusia.
Now, many collectors for whatever reason neglect these tiny pocket watches and
concentrate their collections on only the larger mens pocker watches. I have
never understood this - and to me, they form an inportant part of my
collection.
The Watch
Normaly given Tonny's shows a Lepine Open Face Cal. 63 timepiece, I would opt
to share a Savonette Cal. 64 (Hunter - closed face) timepiece. However, as
Adrian shows below here, a really pretty example of a Cal. 64, I will share
with you today a little Cal. 63 Open Face from my Collection which I am very
pleased to own.
Tonny calls the guiloche work on the case backs here appropiately, sunflower.
So why not share my little sunflower with you.
Absolutely stunning patern on this 14K rose gold case - and hardly showing
any signs of wear.
The dial side shows a difference with that of Tonny's timepiece. Where on his
watch above, there is a very small bezel around the dial - here as you see
below the bezel is extended around the front side and the same sunflower
patern guiloche work adorns the front bezel.
Sadly, as yopu have already probably already noticed there is a reason why
this little gem of a ladies pocket watch shows so little sign of wear on the
case patterning. This is becuase somewhere in the past for whatever reason the
crown/stem neck part of the case broke off completely, and both the stem neck
and the bow attachement point were gone. So she probably lay in a draw
somewhere, unworn for the best part of 110 years. For without a bow to attach
a fob to, the watch was of now use to the lady of the manor.
Such a sight for sore eyes - a decapitated lady!
So, in appreciation of the fact that this watch was sold on the 17th of
February
1905 to the wholesale jeweler Leopold Lowith of Vienna, Austria and the
otherwise really good condition of
the case, I could not let her be sold off for smelting and decided to rescue
it.
The watch was found in the USA, and thankfully our most favourite of mules
offered to hand carry it across the big pond to me.
Of course, the first thing to do was to strip her down of her golden skirt...
And while this jewel of a movement (below) went off for a full service to get
rid of all that 100 plus years of gunked up oils ....
The case
itself went off to the UK, to the casemaker with a request to restore her neck
to former glory - and of course to attach a new tiarra (bow) to the lovely
ladies slender neck.
I'm very pleased to say the opperation was a success - she once again can
show her slender neck.
But, you may judge for yourself - a pretty good job in my humble opinion.
She is of course, very delicate and petite when sitting next to here big
brother.
What
Here are
Here
This is