German 18K gold hunting cased precision watch Circa 1895

Gold full hunter by Uhrenfabrik-Union
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A German 18 carat gold hunting cased pocket watch, circa 1890-1900. The precision movement with a lever escapement. White enamel dial with Arabic hour numerals, outer minute divisions, sunk subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and gold hands. The polished case is monogrammed WS on the front. Dial signed, case and movement with matching numbers. Comes with the original presentation box and a warranty card.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 108 g
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Signed: Uhrenfabrik-Union Glashütte in Sachsen
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Johannes Dürrstein was born on August 22nd, 1845 in Niederrad and died on May 7th, 1901. Dürrstein grew up in a middle class family and completed a commercial apprenticeship at the Frankfurt watch wholesaler Ludwig & Fries. He was a German entrepreneur and together with his brother Friedrich, he established his own business in 1874.

Johannes repeatedly travelled to Switzerland on business and got to know the important watch manufacturers in the country. The company traded as Dürrstein & Co Glashütte and sold Swiss products as well as watches by A. Lange & Söhne.

Nearly 20 years later, in 1893, Dürrstein founded the Uhrenfabrik Union. The watches produced in this manufactory were of outstanding quality and could be made to order with high value complications of all kinds. The range included pocket chronometers, tourbillons and perpetual calendars and usually came with a rating certificate from the Hamburg Observatory. Dürrstein always tried to satisfy the universally strong demand for high quality timepieces and mainly used premium Swiss movements which he bought and cased before selling them to his customers.