Antique English Pocket Watch. Russian Imperial Coat of Arms. 18 K. England, 1846

Gorgeous antique English lever-fusee pocket watch with the Russian imperial shield, made by Banister in 18K. The watch was made in London in 1846 and remains in superb condition, showing off an excellent working order too. This watch is a real old-time jewel built by the London-based watchmaker Henry Banister. Apparently, in 1852 Banister succeeded John Grant in Fleet Street, after Grant left the business when he inherited a pawnbroking business. The watch stands out for its quality, but also for the outstanding embossed shield that decorates the front cap. It is the Russian imperial shield and this suggests that the watch could have been made to be exported to the tsarist Russia. The watch shows off a flawless working order and keeps the time finely. The movement has been carefully cleaned and tuned in order to guarantee a good performance. It comes with a winding key which is not original from the period, but fits and works perfectly. The front cap is decorated with the mentioned shield, a detailed and beautiful embossed work. Inside the cap bears different hallmarks that can also be seen in other parts of the casing. One of them identifies London gold and the other stands for the manufacturing date (L): 1846. We can see the umber 18 too, which correspond to the golds carats, and a partially-worn serial number: 1390. The watchs dial is elegant and beautiful, boasting a sober timeless design that today still stands out for its great beauty. It is a white dial with black Roman numerals and paved cobalt-blue straight metal hands. The watchs movement is as gorgeous as the dial; it is embellished with hand-engraved volutes and signed by Banister in a beautiful cursive lettering. The movement also bears the watchmakers address, Fleet Street 75 London, and the serial number 5643. All the inscriptions are delicately engraved by hand, looking neat and precise. Any lover of old-time watches will find a real treasure in this antique English lever-fusee pocket watch with the Russian imperial shield. An exclusive item of timeless beauty. Medidas: Ancho: 44 mm. Peso: 75 g.