Fine Antique Solid-Silver Pocket Watch. Switzerland, Circa 1900

Fine antique solid-silver pocket watch made in Switzerland circa 1900 and in good working order. The watch is signed by Cortébert at the dial and the rear cap; this was a prestigious Swiss watchmaking brand founded in the 18th century. It was made to be exported to Germany. The front cap preserves the original glass pane which protects a gorgeous dial. This has white background and black Arab numerals; the numerals stand out for their contemporary and bold style, just like the original zigzag hands. Just beside the 4 we can see a small ancient reparation which scarcely interferes with the beauty of the design. The rear cap is a solid-silver piece. It bears a guilloche decoration and a non-engraved central shield. In its inner side we can see the CORTÉBERT brand mark, the hallmarks that identify Swiss and German silver pieces, the silver proportion (0,800) and the serial number 1012181 42. The dustcap is made of metal and shows the same serial number engraved inside. As for the movement, it is really clean and remains greatly preserved, which guarantees an excellent working order. This fine antique solid-silver pocket watch is an exclusive piece, both for the prestige of the watchmaking brand and for its original and beautiful design. Dimensions: Width: 48 mm.Cortébert Watches History Cortébert was one of the most prestigious brands in the field of premim watchmaking, during the XIX and XX centuries. The firm started out in 1790, when Abraham-Louis Juillard opened a small workshop in the Swiss city of Cortébert. The brand, though, was not registered until 1855. In the 19th century Cortébert became one of the most renowned and desirable watchmaking brands of the period. The reasons: their wide range of movements and the good quality of their railroad watches. In fact, the company installed the Turkish and Italian railroad systems, and also the ones of several street-car systems throughout Europe. In 1927 Cortébert started selling watches in the Italy of Mussolini, under the Perseo brand name. In the 1970s the brand was seriously affected by the quartz revolution; eventually the company had to close its doors for good. Nevertheless, the Italian representatives of the company bought the Perseo brand and today it is still active as a completely independent business.