Austrian silver self-winding square pocket watch Circa 1880

Silver square watch with power reserve
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A fine and rare silver Austrian, self-winding, square pocket watch with power reserve indication, circa 1880. Entirely engraved with masks, scrolls and foliage, silver hinged cuvette. White enamel dial, radial Roman numerals, outer minute track and Arabic five minute numerals, subsidiary seconds at 10, power reserve scale at 2.

Gold Louis XV hands. Nickel square movement, 15 jewels, lateral counterpoised lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with flat balance spring, jeweled Tshaped oscillating weight with steel banking pins, index regulator. Signed on the dial and case Loehr Patent, on cuvette Patent perpetual.
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Dimensions: 48 x 48 mm
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Signed: August Von Loehr
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On April 12, 1878 August von Loehr of Vienna filed for a British patent for a selfwinding watch with a special simple overwinding prevention system and a special setting mechanism. On July 13, 1878, he filed for a USA patent, which was granted on January 7, 1879. Before Loehr’s invention, self-winding watches required an elaborate disengaging system when fully wound. Loehr overcame this problem in a very simple way by employing an elastic ratchet pawl.