centre-seconds watch;
self-winding watch;
wrist-watch;
watch-case;
presentation-box
- Museum number
- 1991,0614.1
- Description
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LADIES GOLD-PLATED CASED CENTRE-SECONDS JEWELLLED LEVER AUTOMATIC WRIST-WATCH WITH PRESENTATION CASE.
Movement with rotary automatic winding and club-tooth lever escapement.
Silver painted metal dial with Arabic hours 3, 6, 9, 12 and batons for the remainder.
Black painted hour, minute and centre-seconds hands.
Gold-plated case with snap-on back.
Wrist-strap/bracelet now missing.
Cream faux-lizard skin box.
- Production date
- 1952-1958
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 21.10 millimetres (bezel)
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Diameter: 16.80 millimetres (dial)
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Height: 28 millimetres
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Length: 210 millimetres (presentation case)
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Length: 25.90 millimetres
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Thickness: 9.60 millimetres
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Width: 44 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Comment from Richard Good, Catalogue of Watches in the British Museum. Vol. V (Unpublished manuscript)
Made by Eterna Watch Company
Switzerland, c. 1950.(1)
Self winding ladies wrist watch with a club tooth lever escapement
Signature: On the dial 'ETERNA-MATIC SWISS' On the movement is 'ETERNA.MATIC BREVETE' and the number 8742112.
Case: A two piece rolled gold case with on the outside of the snap on back the number 5569452. On the inside of the back is 'KB' in a cartouche 'GOLD FILLED L WARRANTED 80 MICRONS SWISS MADE ETERNA WATCH CO SWISS'. There are many repair marks in the back.
Dial & Hands: A matt silvered dial with the Eterna-matic trade mark of five dots representing the balls in the self winding weight ball race. These dote are gilt as are the hour numerals and batons. 3, 6, 9 and 12 in Arabic numerals and the other hour marks as batons all gilt. On the back of the dial are a series of stamped concentric rings with also the trade mark E over a W and the numbers 870 and 2. The hands including the centre seconds hand are black but were originally gilt.
Movement: A nickel silver movement
Ebauche Marks: 1403 U on the inside of the front plate.
Frame:
Barrel and Mainspring: A recessed cover to the going barrel.
Barrel: I diameter 7.1 mm., height 1.3 mm.
Mainspring: height 1.3 mm., thickness 0.10 mm.
Barrel Arbor: diameter 2.2 mm., snailed.
Hooking: The slipping spring is hooked to a single turn of thicker spring which slips in the barrel when the spring is fully wound.
Train: All the wheels gilded, the centre wheel, third and fourth wheels with five crossings. The steel escape wheel with four.
Jewelling: Jewelled bearings from the second wheel onwards, all the jewels pressed in. The two jewels for the pallet staff are bombé. Shock protection of the Incabloc type to the balance.
Escapement: A straight line layout club tooth lever escapement with short lever, double roller and D-shaped impulse pin. The exposed pallet stones have flat acting faces. A steel escape wheel with four crossings.
An equal impulse escapement.
No. of teeth embraced 3½.
Balance & Spring: a monometallic balance with brass screws. Balance diameter 7.65 mm., thickness 0.65 mm. A blued 'self compensating' flat spiral spring with 10 turns.
Means of Regulation: An index on the balance cock registers against '+' and '-' engraved on the balance cock table.
Train Counts and Beat Rate:
Great wheel 70 (barrel)
Second wheel 60 pinion 10
Third wheel 75 pinion 10
Fourth wheel 70 pinion 10
Escape wheel 15 pinion 7
The motion work is driven from the third pinion through a slipping wheel mounted beneath the cannon pinion.
Beat rate 18,000
Motion work: cannon pinion 10
minute wheel 40, minute pinion 12
hour wheel 36
Winding System: Conventional positive set keyless work.
Self winding work: The weight is mounted on a ball race and winds the barrel through gearing. The self winding work complete. Two of the wheels in the self winding train are mounted on posts and kept from falling off during disassembly by latches. The weight is furnished with a heavy metal insert. Too allow manual winding without rotating the whole of the self winding train one of the wheels has a two armed click.
Case: Diameter 21.0 mm., height over the glass 9.7 mm.
Movement: diameter 18.5 mm., height 7.2 mm.
Provenance: Purchased in ?
Note:
(1) This watch was announced at the Basle Fair of 1950 as the smallest of its kind. See 'Watchmaker Jeweller & Silversmith' June 1950 p. 50.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Latest: 2 (2017)
- Acquisition date
- 1991
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1991,0614.1
