Beautiful Niello-ware Pocket Watch

Beautiful niello-ware pocket watch.

The watch has a stem-winding movement which is working nicely. The movement is protected by an inner hinged cover which has images of various trade medals and brief details of the movement. This inner cover has an inward indentation.

The watch measures 50mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The case is known as niello… niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver, in this case 800 silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens, and flows or is pushed into the engraved lines in the metal.

The Edwardian style pattern with rose gold detailing on this particular watch is very unusual and one we have not come across before. Originally there would have been a rose gold wash around the edge of the front and back but most of this has worn off over the years, and there is some niello loss in places but still a very handsome piece.

The acrylic lens is in good condition.

The dial is in its original finish and the outer red 24 hours numbers are a nice feature.

The watch comes in a new presentation box.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE UK POSTAGE (because of GPSR legislation, we no longer post items less than 100 years old to Europe, including Northern Ireland).

Please contact us regarding international shipping.

All of our watches are checked over before listing, and are also checked for accuracy which is usually within around +/- two to three minutes over 24 hours (unless otherwise stated), which is considered respectable for a vintage watch.

We are a VAT registered company and all purchases are covered by Consumer Regulations.

Credit / debit card purchases up to £300 can be made over the telephone on 01386 750238 or you can proceed via the 'Purchase Antique' button on each listing page. Alternatively, there is a Paypal payment link if you scroll down the page and we also accept bank transfers.

We are an on-line only business and do not have facilities for callers. Our offices are open from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

With regards to appraisals / valuations, we receive a huge number of information requests each day and unfortunately do not have the manpower to deal with them all individually. Our advice would be to contact a local auctioneer for a full appraisal.