Extremely Russian watch entirely made of bone Circa 1865

Watch made of bone
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A fine and extremely rare, Russian watch entirely made of bone, circa 1865. Accompanied by the original carved bone chain, hook and key, circa 1865. Entirely made of bone with pinned bone bridges, excluding the main spring, balance spring and pivots, with going barrel, cylinder escapement with bone staff, plain bone three-arm balance, and bone index regulator. Case with a hinged back cover, polished, bezels with turned ribs at the edges, and a small circle in the centre. Chain with single and double links, carved from bone, 8 mm ring links. Bone dial with Arabic numerals on circular cartouches, subsidiary seconds. Bone hands.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Signed: Mikhail Semyonovitch Bronnikov Russia
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Bronnikov watches are absolutely rare. Only a few of them are completely preserved. The few known examples are in such important collections as the Kremlin, the Hermitage and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon in the Dresden Zwinger.

The famous wooden watches by the Bronnikovs are very rare and bone watches are much rarer. Far fewer examples were made and even fewer survive today. Bronnikov The Bronnikov family came from Vjatka, Russia, and specialized in the making of all-wood, and all-ivory watches. The first recorded member of the family was Ivan Bronnikov (c. 1770 – 1860), a skilful joiner and turner. His son was Semyon Ivanovitch (1800 – 1875). Semyon had seven sons, among them Mikhail Semyonovitch and Nicolai Semyonovitch, who continued his work, as did Mikhail’s son Nicolai Mikhailovitch, who was the last watchmaker in the family. Nicolai Mikhailovitch left Vjatka for Moscow in 1909 or 1910 and is said to have worked there for the firm of Paul Buhre. Watches by the Bronnikovs are found in the Hermitage, the Moscow Clock Industry Research Institute, the Tbilisi Museum of People’s Art, the Physics and Math Salon of Dresden, in museums in Vjatka, Slobodskoi, Veliky Ustyug, Cherepovets, and in private collections in Moscow, Angarsk, Zlatoust, and Irkutsk. Known signatures include “M.S. Bronnikov in Vjatka”, “The Bronnikov Brothers in Vjatka”, and “N.M. Bronnikov in Vjatka”. Literature: “The Bronnikov Dynasty” by Theodore R. Crom, NWCC Bulletin Vol. 43/6 December 2001.