Swiss silver pocket watch for the Chinese market Circa 1880-1900
- Kenmerk
- AA0403
- Diameter
- 55 mm
- Estimate
- € 800 - 1.600
- Price sold
- € 800
Silver lever center seconds watch
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A Swiss silver open faced key wind pocket watch with center seconds made for the Chinese market by Levy Hermanos in Fleurier, Val-de-Travers, circa 1880-1900. The gilded brass movement engraved in Chinese style has a going barrel, lateral equilibrated lever escapement, monometallic balance with poising screws and blued steel flat hairspring. White enamel dial with radial Roman hours, an outer minute track with fifth of a second divisions, outermost Arabic quarter hour numerals and original hands. The polished case is stamped LF & Co., probably for Levy Frères & Co.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: Levy Hermanos
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The Philippine watchmaking company Levy Hermanos (Levy Brothers) was founded by Adolphe (1849-1888), Charles (1854-1899) and Raphaël, sons of merchant Nathan Moïse Lévy (1813-1892) and Louise Blum (1819-1895). During the 1870 Franco-German War, the brothers fled from their native village, Marckolsheim in the Alsace-Lorraine region, France, via San Francisco in California, U.S.A., to Iloilo, Western Visayas in the Philippines. When they arrived in 1873, they were among the first Jewish families in the Philippines. Adolphe died of cholera in Manila on June 13, 1888.
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At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the company was active in Manila, Singapore and Paris, and had a Hong Kong branch at 10 Queen’s Road, Central. Over the years, Levy Hermanos opened branches in Shanghai, Tientsin, Port Arthur, Kharbin and Bombay.
Signed: Levy Hermanos




















