Historically interesting German quality 1A lever watch Circa 1895

Gunmetal open faced watch by J. Assmann
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A historically interesting German gunmetal open faced quality 1A Glashütte lever pocket watch with chain, circa 1895. ¾ Plate movement, a piston tooth lever escapement and gold screw compensation balance. White enamel dial with Roman hours, an outer minute track, sunk subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and blued spade & whip hands. A plain case. Dial signed, movement signed and numbered, case numbered. Comes with the original presentation box.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Weight: 86 g
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Signed: J. Assmann Glashütte I/Sachsen
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An eventful history from production in the 1990s to the First World War led to one of the rare watches by Julius Assmann in which the movement and case number do not match. Around 1916, Germany needed raw materials and foreign currency during the war, the iron case replaced the movement of the watch 11440 in exchange for the gold case. As a thank you for the sacrifice, the Reichsbank awarded a medal with the motto ‘I gave gold for defence, I took iron for honour’, which also shows an iron watch chain on which the year ‘1916 – In Iron Age’ can be read. Unfortunately, the medal and original chain are no longer available. There was already a similar appeal for donations in the Prussian Kingdom. Princess Marianne of Prussia called on her compatriots to exchange their gold valuables for iron jewellery with the inscription ‘I gave gold for iron’.