A heavy, high-grade 18K gold timepiece featuring a rare Duplex escapement and exquisite floral dial.
Total weight approximately 88 grams. Estimated gold content 35 to 45 grams.
This stunning mid-19th-century open-face pocket watch represents the height of Victorian English watchmaking. The timepiece is housed in a heavy 18K yellow gold case with engine-turned engraving and a central blank cartouche.
Key Features: • Maker: Signed Arnold McCabe & Co, London on the movement cover (cuvette). • Dial: An exceptional solid gold dial featuring intricate tricolor gold floral ornamentation, a guilloché center, Roman numerals, and a subsidiary seconds dial. • Movement: A high-grade, key-wind/key-set fusee movement featuring a Duplex escapement—a technically advanced and collectible mechanism used in higher-tier watches of this era. It is jeweled with "9 Holes Jewels".
• Case: 18K Yellow Gold (hallmarked), numbered N6021. The case features a "cuvette" (inner dust cover) also engraved with the maker's details.
• Provenance: Includes a sepia portrait photograph fitted inside the front cover, adding unique historical character. It has been in my family since purchase.
Condition Report: • Cosmetic: Fantastic antique condition. The gold case shows deep, crisp engine turning with minimal wear. The dial is bright and clean with original finish.
• Mechanical: Untested/Non-running. The watch appears complete but does not include a winding key. Due to the delicate nature of the Duplex escapement, it is sold as "untested" and may require a service by a qualified horologist.