About this lot

Description

circa 1912, the signed white dial, 38mm diameter, with black Arabic numerals, outer minute ring with red Arabic numerals, blued spade hands and subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock, signed 15 jewel mechanical crown wind movement number 4072820 with pumpkin shaped winder, front loading case by the Brooklyn Watch Case Company, 43mm diameter, numbered 6449121, verso plain and polished, interior stamped '14K warranted to assay', 56g gross

Footnote: It was not uncommon for watch movements to be exported uncased and assembled with local cases in the country of destination. It is likely, therefore, that this example was an export model for the United States of America. The Brooklyn Watch Case Co. began in New York City in 1865, moving to Brooklyn - which was at that time a separate city and one of the country's largest - in 1866. The company originally made gold and silver watch cases, but production of silver cases was phased out and they concentrated only on gold and gold-plated varieties. At the start of 1909, Brooklyn's '14K' cases assayed at just under 14ct. Brooklyn claimed that this was still finer than others in the industry, pointing out that Federal law at the time required that stock that claimed to be 14ct gold must test to at least 13.50ct. Shortly after, Brooklyn refined their '14K' cases to 14.29ct, as in this example, in their words, 'to stay ahead of the competition'.

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