Swiss early silver Jones caliber type B watch Circa 1873

Silver lever watch with key winding
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An early, extremely rare and large Jones caliber type B key wind pocket watch made by the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, circa 1873. The coin edges case of this watch was crafted from silver and bears a decoratively engraved, vacant cartouche on the front lid. The white enamel dial features Roman hour numerals, an outer minute track, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock and steel moon hands. The numbered Jones caliber type B movement is equipped with a lever escapement and marked Henry Burns New York.
The dial is signed.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Weight: 140 g
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Signed: Int^nl Watch Co
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The watch presented here comes from the most famous and largest collection of Jones calibers, the A. Myers Collection.
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The Jones caliber refers to the first series of pocket watch movements made in the late 19th century by the International Watch Company (IWC) in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

These movements are named after the American founder of IWC, Florentine Ariosto Jones, who came to Switzerland in 1868 to combine American industrial mass production techniques with Swiss craftsmanship.

The movements in question, in which the gear train is covered by a single large ¾ plate bridge instead of multiple small bridges, were produced between approximately 1872 and 1876. Another characteristic is the long, arrow shaped index hand on the balance bridge, also known as the “Jones arrow” or “Jones pointer”.

The movements were produced in various grades and sometimes signed with names such as “Romney”, “Greenleaf”, or “Craig”. There are various Jones calibers, in different sizes, designated as caliber 1 to 17.
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Alan Meyers
The A. Myers Collection is frequently cited in horological literature and auction catalogues as the most famous and largest private collection of IWC Jones calibers.

The Jones caliber movements are now highly prized by collectors for their historical significance and unique engineering.
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The A. Myers Collection is notable for several reasons:

Depth and Breadth:      It includes examples of nearly all the quality levels 

                                     designated by Jones, typically labeled B, D, E, H, R, and S.

Rarity:                           Many pieces in the collection are considered IWC rarities,

                                     such as extremely early serial numbers or rare configurations

                                     like the Type C (of which only a handful are known to survive).

Historical Reference:   Objects from this collection are often used as reference pieces in

                                     scholarly works, including the definitive book  

                                     F.A. Jones – His Life, Legacy and Watches by Seyffer, König,

                                     and Myers.