German American 18 carat gold chronograph Circa 1889

Very rare and early high quality chronograph
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A very rare and early chronograph pocket watch of the highest quality grade 1A, assembled by Joseph Ruff in Chicago, United Stated of America, circa 1889. This watch features an original premium solid 18 carat gold case from Fahys in New York and has a cuvette inscribed: “Sarah to John Christmas 1868 Renewed 24^th Anniversary Jan’y 23^rd 1885”. The enamel dial features outer chronograph seconds, minute and hour tracks, with Arabic numerals denoting the 5 second chronograph divisions, 5 minute intervals and hours, a subsidiary seconds dial positioned at 6 o’clock and the original steel hands. The numbered 1A quality movement is fitted with an early A. Lange & Söhne club tooth lever escapement, a chronograph, gold wheels, a gold lever, a gold escape wheel and a diamond end stone.
The dial and movement are signed.
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Diameter: 52 mm
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Weight: 121 g
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Signed: A. Lange & Söhne Glashütte bei Dresden (dial and movement)
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Ruff
Joseph Ruff (c. 1844 – 1925) was a Scottish born watchmaker and jeweler who immigrated to Chicago in the early 1860’s. He operated as a traditional jeweler and retailer. During the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, it was standard practice for American watchmakers and jewelers to buy high grade movements wholesale from major manufacturers (such as the Illinois Watch Company or the Swiss maker C.H. Meylan) and have their own name, “Joseph Ruff /Chicago,” engraved on the movement or dial. This is known as a private label watch.

Jewelers like Ruff did not make the metal cases. Instead, a customer would pick out a movement (like a Joseph Ruff private label) and separately select an empty gold or silver case made by a dedicated case manufacturer (such as Wadsworth, Fahys, or Keystone). The jeweler would then house (or assemble) the movement inside the chosen case right at the retail counter.

The watch presented here tells a story of a Chicagoan went to Joseph Ruff’s luxury jewelry storefront. Instead of a typical American watch, they wanted the absolute best engineering in the world. Ruff imported this incredibly complex, bare chronograph mechanism directly from A. Lange & Söhne in Germany. He then imported a heavy, premium solid 18 carat gold case from Fahys in New York and custom assembled this magnificent hybrid timepiece at his workbench in Chicago.