ANTIQUE SWISS .800 SILVER POCKET WATCH – J.G. RYDÉN, JÖNKÖPING, SWEDEN – CIRCA 1900
A handsome and unusually large antique Swiss pocket watch, measuring approximately 55 mm in diameter and weighing 88.38 grams complete.
The white enamel dial is signed:
J. G. RYDÉN
JÖNKÖPING
The watch was apparently manufactured in Switzerland for the Scandinavian/German market and retailed by J. G. Rydén of Jönköping, Sweden.
The silver case bears the Swiss .800 silver fineness mark together with the Swiss grouse hallmarks, used for .800 silver during the 1882–1934 hallmarking period. The case also carries the German crescent and crown silver mark, consistent with a Swiss-made watch intended for or circulating through the German market.
The watch is particularly attractive for its large 55 mm size, elaborate engraved silver case and beautiful pierced and scrollwork hands.
The white enamel dial has black Arabic numerals, an outer minute track and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock. The ornate hands are an especially decorative feature and give the watch considerable period character.
DETAILS
Antique condition with age-related wear consistent with a watch more than a century old.
The enamel dial has visible hairlines/cracks and an area of enamel loss/chipping near approximately the 3–4 o'clock position. Additional surface wear and marks are present. The silver case shows scratches, tarnish, wear and patina from age and use.
The watch is currently running when wound, including movement of the subsidiary seconds hand. However, it has not been professionally serviced or tested for accuracy or power reserve, and no guarantee of future timekeeping is made.
The case has not been polished, preserving its antique surface and patina.
Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.
A LARGE AND CHARACTERFUL ANTIQUE SWISS .800 SILVER POCKET WATCH WITH SWEDISH RETAILER SIGNATURE AND AN INTERESTING COMBINATION OF SWISS AND GERMAN SILVER MARKS.