Extremely Russian watch entirely made of bone Circa 1865

Bone open faced key winding cylinder watch
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A fine and exceptionally rare Russian all bone open faced pocket watch made by Mikhail Semynonovitch Bronnnokov in Vjatka, Russia (today Kirov), mid 19th century. It has a mechanical key winding all bone movement with pinned bridges, a barrel with a steel mainspring, a cylinder escapement, a wooden balance wheel, and a steel balance spring at the centre, signed inside in Cyrillic characters. The bone dial features white cartouches with Arabic numerals for the hours, a beaded minute track, a small subsidiary seconds dial, and a visible skeleton mechanism at the centre.
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The timepiece is housed in a circular, all bone open faced case. It has a hinged back engraved with Cyrillic initials beneath the mitre of a Russian Orthodox bishop, bezels with turned ribs on the edges, a sturdy round suspension bow, and a hinged inner protective cover. The watch comes with its original carved bone chain with an integrated winding key at the end.
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Diameter: 41 mm
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Signed: Bronnnokov (in Cyrillic)
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Bronnikov watches are extremely rare. Only a few are completely preserved. Known examples are in important collections such as the Kremlin, the Hermitage, and the Mathematisch Physikalischer Salon in the Dresden Zwinger.
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The famous wooden watches by the Bronnikovs are 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 ivory watches. The first recorded member of the family was Ivan Bronnikov (c. 1770 – 1860), a skilful joiner and turner.
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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.