American 14K yellow gold open faced pocket watch Circa 1940

Gold open faced manual wind lever watch
–
A fine American 14 carat yellow gold open faced pocket watch, retailed by Black, Starr and Gorham, circa 1940. It has a mechanical manual wind movement by IWC Schaffhausen. The movement features a high grade frosted nickel plated lever with separate finger bridges, a lever escapement, screwed chatons, and a bimetallic compensation balance with a swan neck fine adjustment system. The matte silver dial shows elegant gold applied stylised Arabic numerals for the hours, an outer gold dotted minute track, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, and ornate gold cathedral style hands. The timepiece is housed in a sleek 14 carat yellow gold open faced case with a polished flat bezel, a fluted winding crown, and a distinctive stepped Art Deco suspension bow. The polished back cover is centrally engraved with block initials LG.
–
Diameter: 45 mm
–
Signed: Black, Starr and Gorham
–
The manufacturer, IWC (International Watch Company) from Switzerland, designed and produced the high quality movement. This movement is a top quality gear train featuring characteristic IWC details, such as the swan neck fine adjustment.
–
The retailer, Black, Starr & Gorham, was a luxurious and prestigious jewellery store in New York (Fifth Avenue). They purchased the movements directly from IWC, had a gold case made around them, and placed their own name on the dial. As a result, IWC supplied the motor and technical heart of the watch, while the American jeweller sold it under its own name.