German small gold hunting cased pocket watch Circa 1865

Gold lever pocket watch by Adolf Schneider / H. Mansberger
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A rare, small and early Glashütte hunting cased pocket watch, circa 1865.
Early Glashütte precision lever movement with gold lever and gold lever wheel, magnificently engraved balance cock, and plate signed H. Mansberger Glashütte. Off-white enamel dial with Roman radial hours, outer minutes track, subsidiary dial for the seconds, and blued steel spade hands. 18K gold, á-goutte, engine-turned case with engraved monogram and case hallmark C. Loup. Case and movement with matching numbers. Movement signed.
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Diameter: 43 mm
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Weight: 74 g
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Signed: Adolf Schneider / H. Mansberger, Glashütte
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It is a very early Adolf Schneider from 1865, the signature of which suggests a master’s thesis or schoolwork. The watchmaking school in Glashütte was not founded until 1878. Unfortunately, our research into the watchmaker H. Mansberger Glashütte was unsuccessful.
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Friedrich August Adolf Schneider (1824-1878)
Friedrich august Adolf Schneider was born in Dresden in 1824 and began his apprenticeship with Gutkaes in 1841. In 1845 Schneider decided to follow his friend and future brother-in-law Adolph Lange to Glashütte and be a foreman in his newly set-up watch manufacture. After working with Lange for six years, Schneider started his watchmaking company in 1851. He first produced key winding pocket watches but changed to winding crowns around 1865 when LaLange’satented winding crown system was established. Schneider exported many watches to the US; his local agent was Max Freund & Co. in New York. After ScSchneider’sudden death in 1878, his son continued the business. All in all, the company produced about 3,000 pocket watches of the finest quality.