An English 18 carat gold observation chronometer Circa 1882

A rare chronometer in gold with power reserve
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A rare observation chronometer in gold with the original key, made by Viktor Kullberg in London, England, circa 1882. The numbered plain open faced case of this watch is crafted from 18 carat gold and has the London Hallmarks from 1882. The white enamel dial has Roman hour numerals, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, a power reserve dial at 12 o’clock and blued steel hands. The numbered movement has a Kullberg spring chronometer escapement with cylindrical hairspring and a diamond end stone.
Dial and movement have matching numbers and are signed.
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Weight: 133 g
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Signed: A. Ericsson S^T Petersburg
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Almost all Kullberg observation chronometers have silver cases. A gold chronometer is extremely rare.
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August Ericsson

The Swedish watchmaker August Ericsson opened his famous watchmaking workshop in St. Petersburg in Russia in 1875 and manufactured high quality chronometers, mainly for the Imperial Navy. For the majority of his chronometers he used works by the renowned chronometer maker Viktor Kullberg London, also a Swede.
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Viktor Kullberg
Victor Kullberg (1824-1890) was one of the most respected chronometer makers of the late 19^th century. Born in Sweden and trained by Louis-Urban Jürgensen in Copenhagen, he established his firm in London in the 1850’s. He produced chronometers not only under his own name but also supplied other prominent chronometer makers with his work. By the 1870’s he had won numerous prize medals and in 1882 a Kullberg chronometer was judged the finest ever submitted to the Greenwich Trials. His work is characterized by the use of a reverse fusee whose opposite sense of rotation divided the pull of the chain between the centre wheel and fusee, thus reducing pivot wear.