Russian birchwood and bone watch with chain Circa 1865

Wooden watch attributed to Mikhail Semyonovitch Bronnikov
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A fine and very rare Russian birchwood and bone pocket watch with chain, circa 1865. The movement is entirely made of wood with pinned wooden bridges, excluding the mainspring, balance spring and pivots, a going barrel, cylinder escapement with bone staff and a plain wood three-arm balance. A wooden dial with Arabic hours on bone cartouches, subsidiary seconds and wooden hands. A polished case with a hinged back, bezels with turned ribs at the edges, small circles in the centre. Accompanied by the original wooden chain and fitted presentation box.
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Diameter: 59 mm
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Signed: No name
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Mikhail Semyonovitch Bronnikov, Vjatka, Russia. Bronnikov’s inventive design features a movement that is an integral part of the case, the dial serves as the pillar plate and the bridges and clock are supported by brackets milled in the back part of the band. The same idea was later employed by the celebrated Albert Potter.